*Ananda Lewis, a celebrated figure from the MTV era, has passed away at 52, as announced by her sister Lakshmi on Facebook Wednesday, June 11.
As PEOPLE reports, the post included a black-and-white portrait of Lewis, accompanied by the words, “She’s free, and in His heavenly arms. Lord, rest her soul,” with broken heart emojis.
Born in Los Angeles in 1973, Lewis rose to fame in 1997 as an MTV VJ before transitioning to The Ananda Lewis Show in 2001, which aired for one season. Her career began after she graduated from Howard University in 1995, when she hosted BET’s Teen Summit and interviewed First Lady Hillary Clinton. “That experience got me noticed at MTV and in August of 1997, I moved to New York and started working there,” she told Teen People.
Her health journey became public in 2020 when she disclosed a stage III breast cancer diagnosis on Instagram, later revealing in October 2024 on CNN that it had progressed to stage IV. At the time, Lewis admitted regret over never having mammograms due to a fear of radiation exposure.
“My plan at first was to get out excessive toxins in my body. I felt like my body is intelligent, I know that to be true. Our bodies are brilliantly made,” Lewis explained during a CNN round-table discussion about cancer. Following her diagnosis, Lewis went against her doctors’ recommendation for a double mastectomy.
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We’re saddened to learn of the passing of beloved MTV VJ, Ananda Lewis. Through her on-air hosting and interviews, Ananda helped raise a generation of music fans. Our thoughts are with her family & loved ones. pic.twitter.com/7hMq56GLDR
— MTV (@MTV) June 12, 2025
“I decided to keep my tumor and try to work it out of my body a different way,” she shared. “Looking back on that, I go, ‘You know what? Maybe I should have,’” she explained.
“My plan at first was to get out excessive toxins in my body. I felt like my body is intelligent, I know that to be true. Our bodies are brilliantly made,” she said, adding, “I decided to keep my tumor and try to work it out of my body a different way. . . . I wish I could go back.”
In an essay for Essence, she wrote, “prevention is the real cure” for cancer, urging awareness.
Lewis leaves behind her son, Langston, born in 2011 with Harry Smith, brother of Will Smith.
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