Ananda Lewis, the former MTV VJ and host of The Ananda Lewis Show, has reportedly passed away at the age of 52.
The news was shared on Wednesday, June 11, through a heartfelt Facebook post by her sister, Lakshmi. “She’s free, and in His heavenly arms,” Lakshmi wrote. “Lord, rest her soul.”
Ananda Lewis, who first made waves as the host of BET’s Teen Summit, became a household name in the late ’90s as a standout MTV VJ on shows like Total Request Live and Hot Zone. Known for her charisma and cultural insight, she interviewed stars like Brandy and Britney Spears, and emotionally covered the tragic 2001 death of her close friend Aaliyah.
Dubbed the “hip-hop generation’s reigning It Girl” by The New York Times in 1999, Lewis went on to launch her own syndicated daytime talk show in 2001, which aired for one season.
In October, the former TV star revealed that her breast cancer had advanced to stage IV, after being diagnosed with stage III in 2020. In a 2024 CNN roundtable, Lewis reflected on her choice to avoid a double mastectomy despite her doctors’ advice, saying, “I decided to keep my tumor and try to work it out of my body a different way. … I wish I could go back. It’s important for me to admit where I went wrong with this.”
Writing in Essence earlier this year, she stressed the importance of early education and awareness, especially for Black women. “Prevention is the real cure,” she wrote. “If I had known what I know now 10 years ago, perhaps I wouldn’t have ended up here.”
Lewis is survived by her husband, Harry Smith—brother to Will Smith—and their son, Langston, born in 2011.
