Ananda Lewis, the former MTV VJ and beloved television host, has sadly died at the age of 52, years after opening up about her battle with breast cancer.
The heartbreaking news was confirmed on June 11 by Lakshmi Emory, a close friend Lewis once called a “phenomenal sister".
Emory shared a black-and-white photo of Lewis with the message: “She’s free, and in His heavenly arms. Lord, rest her soul.” No cause of death was given.
Many users took to the comment section to share tribute messages and condolences to Lewis's loved ones.
"I’m so sorry for your loss. Praying for you and your beloved family," one user wrote. "We were freshmen together at Howard, and she was always nice to me. Rest in Heaven and sending prayers of comfort and peace to you and your family," another said.
A third added: "Ananda was such a gem. In disbelief. May her journey home be filled with joy and love, and may her memory be a blessing to all who knew her."
The late host was a defining face of MTV in the late ’90s, hosting Total Request Live, Hot Zone, and later her own daytime talk show, The Ananda Lewis Show, in 2001.
But in recent years, she became known for her outspoken journey through breast cancer - a fight she chose to handle her own way.
In 2020, Lewis revealed she had been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer the year prior. She admitted she had avoided mammograms due to a fear of radiation and instead chose to monitor her condition through other methods.
“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,” she told CNN correspondents Stephanie Elam and Sara Sidner during a roundtable, per The Independent.
“My quality of life was very important to me… I want to want to be here. So I had to do it a certain way, for me,” she said, reflecting on her refusal to undergo the double mastectomy her doctors had recommended.
“I decided to keep my tumor and try to work it out of my body a different way. Looking back on that, I go, ‘You know what? Maybe I should have,'" she added.
Her approach included cutting out alcohol and sugar, using high-dose vitamin C IVs, hyperbaric chamber sessions, monthly ultrasounds, qigong, and a focus on sleep and diet.
At one point, Lewis underwent genetically targeted fractionated chemotherapy - a treatment designed to attack cancer cells without damaging healthy ones, per the Cleveland Clinic.
For a time, her condition appeared to stabilize. But by October 2023, a PET scan confirmed her cancer had progressed to stage 4. “My lymph system really flared up,” she said. “It was the first time I ever had a conversation with death because I felt like this is how it is.
"I was just like, ‘Fudge man, I really thought I had this.’ I was frustrated, I was a little angry at myself, and I said, ‘Man, listen. I know you’re coming for me at some point. But I don’t want it to be now. And if you could just wait, I promise when you do come, I’m gonna make it fun for you,'” she shared.
The deterioration became so severe that Lewis was bedridden for eight weeks. In her final op-ed, published in January 2025 in Essence, she didn’t shy away from the gravity of her choices.
“Going into 2025, I would say to women: Do everything in your power to avoid my story becoming yours. If I had known what I know now 10 years ago, perhaps I wouldn’t have ended up here," she said.
“I encourage people to look at the information and studies that exist. Seek them out, learn from them, and apply the changes to your life, so that you can continue to thrive and live as long as you can," she continued, adding that women should receive annual mammograms.
Her call for awareness resonated across the community, with figures like CNN’s Sara Sidner - herself diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer earlier this year - reflecting on their shared experience. “I want to be here... I want to thrive in a way I have never felt before,” Sidner said.
Our thoughts are with Lewis' loved ones at this time.