Nationwide — Ananda Lewis, the beloved former MTV VJ and talk show host, has passed away at the age of 52. Her sister, Lakshmi Lewis, confirmed her death in a heartfelt Facebook post on June 11, writing, “She’s free, and in His heavenly arms,” alongside broken heart emojis and a black-and-white photo of Lewis. A vibrant presence on television in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Lewis was known for her intelligence, charisma, and deep connection with youth culture. She had been battling breast cancer since 2020 and revealed in interviews that her cancer had progressed to stage IV after initially declining a double mastectomy.
According to People, Lewis was born in Los Angeles in 1973 and was raised by her mother and grandmother in San Diego after her parents divorced. She endured a difficult relationship with her mother during childhood but later chose forgiveness, telling Teen People in 1999, “I decided to close the chapter on being hateful… and open a new one.” She attended Howard University, graduating in 1995, and launched her TV career as the host of BET’s Teen Summit, where she even interviewed then–First Lady Hillary Clinton.
Lewis rose to national fame in 1997 when she joined MTV as a VJ, quickly becoming a fan favorite on Total Request Live and Hot Zone. Her confident, unfiltered voice helped redefine what it meant to be a host on youth television. The New York Times once called her “the hip-hop generation’s reigning It Girl,” and Prince famously declared, “Ananda is Cleopatra. You know she’s a queen.” She left MTV in 2001 to host The Ananda Lewis Show, which only aired for one season but allowed her to dive deeper into social issues she cared about.
In addition to her work as a TV host, Lewis became known for tackling heavier subjects like school violence and the tragic death of Aaliyah, a close friend. She also made appearances on shows like The Insider, Celebrity Mole: Yucatán, and While You Were Out, and even worked as a carpenter and general contractor later in life. In 2020, she went public with her cancer diagnosis and advocated for early detection, later admitting she regretted not getting regular mammograms. She wrote in Essence, “Prevention is the real cure.”
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 through her pioneering media career, her advocacy, and her unshakable authenticity.