Her life and legacy will never be forgotten!
Ananda Lewis, the beloved former MTV VJ, television host, carpenter, and fierce advocate for Black women’s wellness, has passed away at the age of 52 after a courageous battle with stage 4 breast cancer, People reports.
Her sister, Lakshmi, confirmed the heartbreaking news in a Facebook post on June 11, writing, “She’s free, and in His heavenly arms. Lord, rest her soul 🙏🏽,” alongside a black and white portrait and a series of broken heart emojis.
Born in Los Angeles in 1973, Lewis grew up in San Diego with her mother and sister following her parents’ divorce. In a 1999 interview with Teen People, she reflected on the emotional complexity of her childhood, sharing, “Mom was overwhelmed from the get-go, devastated by the divorce and working hard to support two kids,” adding that she built up a lot of resentment due to feeling neglected. That transparency and vulnerability would become hallmarks of her career.
Lewis burst into public consciousness in 1997 when she joined MTV as a VJ, hosting shows like Total Request Live and Hot Zone. Her intelligence, authenticity, and presence quickly set her apart. In 1999, The New York Times dubbed her “the hip-hop generation’s reigning It Girl,” and Prince himself once called her “Cleopatra. You know she’s a queen.”
By 2001, Lewis had stepped away from MTV to launch The Ananda Lewis Show, a daytime talk show that premiered just one day before the 9/11 attacks. Though the show lasted only one season, she remained unapologetic about trusting her instincts and choosing authenticity over industry expectations. “It wasn’t what I felt like I signed up for,” she later told Shondaland, candidly expressing that she wished she had waited to take on that type of platform.
In the years that followed, Lewis carved out a versatile career—from television gigs like The Insider, While You Were Out, and America’s Top Dog, to becoming a skilled carpenter and contractor. When MTV News shut down in 2023, she called it “a huge loss for the culture of music,” noting that “artists trusted MTV News to tell their stories.”
But her most profound story was the one she lived in public during the last years of her life. In 2020, Lewis revealed via Instagram that she had been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer after years of avoiding mammograms due to concerns about radiation. She would later share in an October 2024 CNN roundtable that her cancer had progressed to stage 4 after she initially chose not to undergo a double mastectomy.
Her reflections on her diagnosis, treatment journey, and the systemic barriers Black women face in accessing integrative care were captured in a searing and deeply honest ESSENCE feature in early 2025.
“We’re not meant to stay here forever. We come to this life, have experiences—and then we go,” she said. “Being real about that with yourself changes how you choose to live.”
Lewis pursued an integrative path to healing, one rooted in nutrition, alternative therapies, emotional detox, and spiritual grounding. “I’m not a fearful person,” she said. “Fear freezes you. I’m an action-taker.” She spoke openly about the financial hardship of cancer care, balancing treatments with raising her son, Langston, whom she welcomed in 2011 with Harry Smith, brother of actor Will Smith.
Through it all, Lewis remained committed to warning Black women about the risks of delaying care. “Do everything in your power to avoid my story becoming yours,” she urged. “As Black women, we tend to have higher chronic stress rates. We have, in many cases, worse diets and sleep habits. Prevention is the real cure.”
Ananda Lewis left behind more than a legacy of on-screen excellence; she gifted us with the blueprint for living in truth, power, and peace. “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,” she said. And she did.
She is survived by her son, Langston, and a legion of fans, friends, and loved ones who remain inspired by her courage and clarity. Rest in power, Ananda. You lived on your terms and showed us how to do the same.
Cover photo: Remembering Ananda Lewis, Beloved MTV VJ, a Light, a Voice, & a Warrior/Photo credit: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images