Ananda Lewis Dead - Former MTV VJ & Talk Show Host Dies at Age 52
Ananda Lewis has sadly passed away.
On Wednesday (June 11), the former MTV VJ’s sister Lakshmi announced news of Ananda‘s death at the age of 52 in a Facebook post.
“She’s free, and in His heavenly arms,” Lakshmi wrote, alongside a series of broken heart emojis and a black and white portrait of Ananda. “Lord, rest her soul ????????”
Keep reading to find out more…Ananda was first hired by MTV in 1997 as one of the network’s VJS and also hosted shows including Total Request Live and Hot Zone. In 2001, she left MTV to host her own talk show, The Ananda Lewis Show.
In 2020, Ananda announced that she had been diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. At the time, she said that she had not been getting mammograms because of her fear of radiation.
While appearing on a roundtable discussion on CNN in October 2024, Ananda revealed that she went against medical advice and did not have a double mastectomy. Her tumor had metastasized, and her cancer had progressed to stage IV.
“My plan at first was to get out excessive toxins in my body. I felt like my body is intelligent, I know that to be true. Our bodies are brilliantly made,” Ananda said at the time. “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.”
Then in an essay published in Essence in January, Ananda emphasized that “prevention is the real cure” for cancer, and urged women to pay attention to their bodies.
“We’re not meant to stay here forever. We come to this life, have experiences — and then we go,” she wrote. “Being real about that with yourself changes how you choose to live. I don’t want to spend one more minute than I have to suffering unnecessarily. That, for me, is not the quality of life I’m interested in. 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.’”
Ananda is survived by her son Langston, whom she welcomed in 2011 with Harry Smith, the brother of Will Smith.
Our thoughts are with Ananda Lewis‘ loved ones during this difficult time. RIP.