Ananda Lewis, the iconic MTV VJ, died on Wednesday after a lengthy breast cancer battle at the age of 52. Her sister Lakshmi broke the news on Facebook. “She’s free, and in His heavenly arms,” she wrote, alongside a series of broken heart emojis and a black and white portrait of Ananda, “Lord, rest her soul 🙏🏽” Lakshmi told TMZ that Ananda died from stage 4 breast cancer at 11:35 AM on Wednesday, June 11, while in hospice at her LA home.
After graduating from Howard University in 1995, Lewis became a star as host of the BET series, Teen Summit. Ananda was brought on by MTV and led programs like “TRL” and “Spring Break” before going on to host her daytime talk show, “The Ananda Lewis Show.” She continued to be a news correspondent and became a spokesperson for the Humane Society.
In October 2024, Ananda revealed that her breast cancer had escalated to Stage 4 after she previously declined to get a mastectomy for treatment. Ananda opted to try alternative therapies instead. She bravely fought the diagnosis for 6 years. In an essay she published in Essence in January of this year, she emphasized that “prevention is the real cure” for cancer, and urged women to pay attention to their bodies.
She is survived by her son, Langston, whom she welcomed in 2011 with Harry Smith, the brother of actor Will Smith. Her sister shared that her 14-year-old son graduated middle school on Wednesday, a bittersweet day.
May she Rest in Peace.
