Ananda Lewis, a former MTV video journalist and talk show host who rose to fame in the 1990s, has died. She was 52.
Her sister, Lakshmi Emory, shared the news of her passing on Wednesday, June 11, in a Facebook post.
“She’s free, and in his heavenly arms,” Emory wrote, adding broken heart emojis.
Emory later told TMZ that Lewis died Wednesday morning at her home in Los Angeles after battling cancer for six years.
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Lewis was a popular face on MTV during the late ’90s, where she hosted Total Request Live and Hot Zone.
She first gained national attention as a host on the BET issue-oriented program, Teen Summit, after being encouraged to audition by kids she was mentoring.
In a statement Wednesday, BET said the network will “always cherish Ananda’s dedication to her craft and culture.”
In 2001, Lewis left cable television to launch the syndicated Ananda Lewis Show, which ran for two seasons per IMDb. She later reported for entertainment magazine show The Insider, hosted TV Guide Channel’s America’s Next Producer and TLC’s While You Were Out.
Born in Los Angeles in 1973, Lewis was raised in San Diego by her grandmother after her parents divorced. She graduated cum laude from Howard University in 1995 with a degree in history.
In 2020, Lewis revealed she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She said she delayed mammograms out of fear of radiation.
In a 2024 CNN roundtable, Lewis shared that she chose not to have a double mastectomy and that her cancer had progressed to stage 4. She said regretted pursuing alternative treatments instead of having surgery.
“I was frustrated. I was a little angry at myself,” she said.
That October, she appeared on Good Morning America to speak about living with metastatic breast cancer, but said she was at peace with the idea of death and with her past decisions.
Outside of TV, Lewis pursued work as a carpenter and contractor. In 2011, she welcomed a son, Langston, with former partner Harry Smith, brother of actor Will Smith.
Lewis is survived by her 14-year-old son and her sister.
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