Ananda Lewis, former MTV video jockey and television show host, has died at the age of 52 after a years-long battle with breast cancer. Her sister, Lakshmi Emory, announced Lewis’ death in a Facebook post on Wednesday morning, stating that she passed away while in hospice care at her Los Angeles home due to Stage 4 breast cancer. Lewis rose to fame in the late 1990s as a host on BET’s “Teen Summit” and later as a VJ on MTV, where she quickly gained popularity hosting shows such as “Total Request Live” and “Hot Zone.” In 1999, the New York Times dubbed her “the hip-hop generation’s reigning It Girl.”
After leaving MTV in 2001, Lewis hosted her own talk show, “The Ananda Lewis Show,” which lasted one season.
She later worked as a correspondent for the entertainment news show “The Insider” and appeared on various other television programs. Lewis revealed her breast cancer diagnosis in a 2020 Instagram post, explaining that she had not been getting regular mammograms due to her fears surrounding radiation. She urged her followers to stay vigilant with their breast exams.
In a 2024 roundtable discussion with CNN correspondents, Lewis spoke about her battle with the disease, mentioning that she had initially chosen to pursue alternative therapies and focus on holistic treatments after discovering a lump in her breast in 2019.
Ananda Lewis’ impactful life remembered
Despite doctors recommending a double mastectomy at the time, Lewis moved to Arizona to combine holistic and conventional treatments.
By October 2023, scans showed that the cancer had spread to her spine, hips, and lymph nodes. During the roundtable, Lewis emphasized the disproportionately high risk that Black women face with breast cancer, partly attributing it to mistrust of the medical system. Born in Los Angeles in 1973, Lewis experienced a challenging upbringing.
After graduating from Howard University in 1995, she began her career as the host of BET’s “Teen Summit” before joining MTV in 1997. Throughout her career, Lewis was admired by many, including Prince, who described her as a “queen.” In 2000, PEOPLE magazine named her one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. Lewis is survived by her 14-year-old son, Langston, whom she welcomed in 2011 with her partner Harry Smith.
