Movies

Former MTV VJ Ananda Lewis dies after battle with breast cancer

BBG News

As a passionate cinephile, I’m deeply saddened to share that Ananda Lewis, once a vibrant figure on MTV as a video jockey and TV show host, has passed away at the tender age of 52. After a long, courageous fight against breast cancer, she left us, leaving an indelible mark in the world of entertainment.

Back in the day, I made a name for myself hosting shows like “Teen Summit” on BET and “The Ananda Lewis Show”. But then, life took an unexpected turn when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019.

Lakshmi Emory, her sister, announced the death of Lewis through a Facebook post, saying, “[S]he is now at peace and embraced by God’s divine care.” Emory informed TMZ that Lewis passed away on Wednesday morning from advanced breast cancer, having received hospice care at her residence in Los Angeles.

Television

Ananda Lewis, once an MTV Video Jockey, publicly shares her battle with breast cancer, a fight she started approximately six years ago. ‘I recognize my own self, I desire to wish to stay,’ she expresses.

Born and raised in sunny San Diego, Lewis completed her education at Howard University in 1995. Kicking off her career in entertainment, she served as the presenter for “Teen Summit,” a platform where she delved into topics impacting teenagers and had an engaging conversation with then-First Lady Hillary Clinton.

1997 saw MTV recruit her as a Video Jockey, and she swiftly garnered fame by hosting programs like “Total Request Live” and “Hot Zone.” In 1999, The New York Times labeled her as the “it girl” of the hip-hop generation. She decided to leave the network in 2001 to host a talk show of her own, and later took on roles as a correspondent for the entertainment news program “The Insider.

In a heartfelt Instagram post from 2020, I shared my own cancer diagnosis journey, confessing that my apprehension towards radiation had kept me from undergoing regular mammograms. I implored my followers to prioritize their breast health and ensure they’re diligent about their regular check-ups.

This isn’t easy for me, but if by sharing this, even a single woman gets motivated to have a mammogram examination, then everything I’m experiencing right now will be meaningful,” she expressed.

In a 2024 roundtable discussion with CNN correspondents Stephanie Elam, a friend of hers, and Sara Sidner, a survivor of the same disease, she extensively discussed her personal struggle against the illness.

In 2019, Lewis found a lump in her breast, which prompted doctors to suggest a double mastectomy. However, instead of choosing the surgical route, she decided to explore alternative treatments, focusing on detoxifying her body from harmful substances and reducing emotional stress.

Later on, I found myself settling in Arizona, a place where I blended holistic and traditional healing methods. One such method was insulin-potentiation chemotherapy – an approach where patients take reduced doses of chemotherapy, as the theory suggests that insulin allows more of the drug to penetrate cells. However, I faced financial hurdles that made it tough to maintain my holistic treatment routine consistently.

By October 2023, her scans revealed that the cancer had spread from its original site to her spine, pelvis, and lymph nodes.

At the discussion, Lewis emphasized that Black women encounter an unusually high rate of breast cancer mortality. He attributed this, in part, to a deep-seated skepticism towards the healthcare system.

She mentioned that our unease towards doctors has deep roots. “We carry with us a genuine suspicion of the medical field,” she explained, “a suspicion that we must address and overcome, but let’s not forget that it originated somewhere and is indeed valid.

Despite both Black and White women experiencing breast cancer at approximately equal frequencies, Black women face a higher mortality rate, approximately 40% greater, as indicated by statistics gathered by the American Cancer Society.

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2025-06-12 05:01

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