Ananda Lewis, the former MTV VJ and talk show host, has died after a six-year battle with breast cancer. She was 52.
The Associated Press reported Lewis’ death, citing her sister’s Facebook announcement shared June 11.
“She’s free, and in His heavenly arms. Lord, rest her soul,” Ananda’s sister, Lakshmi Emory, wrote.
Lewis’ career began as a host on BET’s “Teen Summit.” She interviewed big names like Kobe Bryant, Tupac Shakur and the first lady at the time, Hillary Clinton, which later earned her an NAACP Image Award, according to The Associated Press.
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In 1997, Lewis shot to fame after she was hired as one of MTV’s VJs, hosting “Hot Zone” and “Total Request Live.” Lewis left MTV in 2001 and became the host of her own talk show, “The Ananda Lewis Show,” which aired for one season.
Lewis told the AP in 2001 she faced backlash after leaving BET for MTV.
“I wouldn’t say in a strong way because I think most people who were in my fan base at ‘Teen Summit’ understand that growth is necessary. One of the main things we dealt with on a consistent basis, like the underlying theme of all the shows, is you’ve got to get out there and live your life,” she said.
“The bottom line is this is about you. So, how do you want to grow and whom do you want to develop into? My justification is that I say to kids, ‘Be your best and take advantage of every opportunity.’ So, I couldn’t sit in a place of not taking advantage of an opportunity,” she told the outlet at the time.
In 2020, Lewis took to Instagram to share that she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. It advanced to Stage 4 last year.
“This is tough for me, but if just ONE woman decides to get her mammogram after watching this, what I’m going through will be worth it. PRACTICE EARLY DETECTION. Share this with a woman you love. These 6 minutes could help save her life. I love you guys,” Lewis captioned her video at the time.
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In her video, she noted that she was not getting routine mammograms due to her fear of radiation.
Lewis later said doctors recommended a double mastectomy, but she opted for alternative methods. She eventually realized that was the wrong measure, becoming an advocate for being up to date with mammogram checkups.
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Lewis penned an essay for Essence in January and emphasized that “prevention is the real cure” when it comes to breast cancer.
“We’re not meant to stay here forever. We come to this life, have experiences — and then we go.
“Being real about that with yourself changes how you choose to live. I don’t want to spend one more minute than I have to suffering unnecessarily. That, for me, is not the quality of life I’m interested in. When it’s time for me to go, I want to be able to look back on my life and say, ‘I did that exactly how I wanted to,’” Lewis wrote.
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After walking away from her talk show, Lewis made appearances as a host on “The Insider,” TLC’s “While You Were Out,” and A&E’s “America’s Top Dog.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
