Nationwide — Ananda Lewis, the beloved former MTV VJ and speak present host, has handed away on the age of 52. Her sister, Lakshmi Lewis, confirmed her loss of life in a heartfelt Fb submit on June 11, writing, “She’s free, and in His heavenly arms,” alongside damaged coronary heart emojis and a black-and-white photograph of Lewis. A vibrant presence on tv within the late ’90s and early 2000s, Lewis was identified for her intelligence, charisma, and deep reference to youth tradition. She had been battling breast most cancers since 2020 and revealed in interviews that her most cancers had progressed to stage IV after initially declining a double mastectomy.
Based on Individuals, Lewis was born in Los Angeles in 1973 and was raised by her mom and grandmother in San Diego after her dad and mom divorced. She endured a tough relationship along with her mom throughout childhood however later selected forgiveness, telling Teen Individuals in 1999, “I made a decision to shut the chapter on being hateful… and open a brand new one.” She attended Howard College, graduating in 1995, and launched her TV profession because the host of BET’s Teen Summit, the place she even interviewed then–First Woman Hillary Clinton.
Lewis rose to nationwide fame in 1997 when she joined MTV as a VJ, shortly turning into a fan favourite on Whole Request Dwell and Scorching Zone. Her assured, unfiltered voice helped redefine what it meant to be a number on youth tv. The New York Occasions as soon as known as her “the hip-hop era’s reigning It Woman,” and Prince famously declared, “Ananda is Cleopatra. You realize she’s a queen.” She left MTV in 2001 to host The Ananda Lewis Present, which solely aired for one season however allowed her to dive deeper into social points she cared about.
Along with her work as a TV host, Lewis turned identified for tackling heavier topics like faculty violence and the tragic loss of life of Aaliyah, a detailed pal. She additionally made appearances on exhibits like The Insider, Superstar Mole: Yucatán, and Whereas You Had been Out, and even labored as a carpenter and normal contractor later in life. In 2020, she went public along with her most cancers prognosis and advocated for early detection, later admitting she regretted not getting common mammograms. She wrote in Essence, “Prevention is the true remedy.”
Ananda Lewis is survived by her son, Langston, whom she had in 2011 with Harry Smith, the brother of actor Will Smith. Her legacy lives on by her pioneering media profession, her advocacy, and her unshakable authenticity.
