Many world wide are nonetheless mourning the lack of tv character Ananda Lewis, who handed away on June 11, 2025. She was 52 years outdated. She is survived by her son and her older sister, the latter of whom is now talking out about her last days.
Lewis was an leisure icon and identified for her on-screen work at BET and MTV within the Nineteen Nineties. She hosted well-liked TV exhibits resembling “Teen Summit” and “Complete Request Stay.”
In 2020, the previous VJ introduced she was recognized with Stage 3 breast most cancers after discovering a lump in her breast in 2018. The most cancers later progressed to Stage 4.
Lewis overtly talked about selecting to not have the tumor faraway from her physique, opting out of getting a double mastectomy, full chemotherapy, or radiation. As a substitute, she targeted on making adjustments to her way of life, resembling weight-reduction plan, limiting stress, vitality work, and prayer.
Dr. Lakshmi Emory, Ananda’s older sister, spoke to “Leisure Tonight” in regards to the NAACP Picture Award winner’s profession and her last days.
“I believe she had accomplished the whole lot she wished to do,” Emory advised “ET” correspondent Kevin Frazier when requested why Lewis selected to depart the highlight of the leisure enterprise years in the past.
Emory added, “She was simply very cautious about what she selected to do, I believe in her later years, as a result of she understood that point is treasured vitality and he or she wished to place her time and vitality into these issues that had been most necessary to her.”
Ananda’s sister mentioned she was nonetheless concerned in activism and likewise recommended different sufferers with most cancers whereas present process each various and standard remedies.
“I need to make clear as a result of individuals are saying she selected to not get therapy, and that’s not true. She did have therapy, and he or she survived for over six years,” Emory defined.
Emory, a doctor who practices within the Chicago space, continued, “She advised me of her prognosis, which was at that time Stage 3 in January of 2019. And from that time on, she was underneath a type of therapy. So both a extra holistic therapy or conventional therapy, and in direction of the top she did embrace conventional therapy and took conventional drugs underneath an oncologist’s care.”
She admitted it was “extraordinarily tough” to see Lewis go the choice route as a substitute of absolutely embracing science-based medical therapies. Each Emory and their mom are most cancers survivors who went via conventional medical therapy.
“Sooner or later, I needed to actually come to the understanding that this was her alternative. This was her physique, and that is how she wished to proceed, and he or she was very profitable in extending her life,” the sister mentioned about Ananda’s medical choices.
Lewis had already expressed remorse in October 2020 about refusing mammograms earlier than her prognosis. All through her six-year most cancers battle, Ananda’s opinions about heal her physique developed. Since then, she has been sharing her expertise with the world, reflecting on the missteps she made by overlooking her physique’s early warning indicators.
“On the time, I used to be additionally not doing mammograms, which was an enormous mistake as a result of my mother had breast most cancers and I knew my probabilities of experiencing it had been increased as a result of there was not a genetic hyperlink that we discovered up to now, however actually a genetic historical past,” Lewis shared in an interview with Atlanta Black Star in 2023. “So I ought to have been doing it.”
She found the lump shortly after ending breastfeeding her son, however on the time, she didn’t acknowledge the potential hyperlink between her prognosis and her household’s medical historical past.
“I came upon by feeling my breasts,” Lewis acknowledged. “I encourage girls to do this month-to-month examination within the bathe. And for me, it was soaping up my arms and nonetheless respiration and feeling round on our breasts. Now we have to know our our bodies to know when one thing adjustments. That’s very important.”
In an October 2024 interview with CNN, the mom of 1 son admitted having second ideas about not having the tumor eliminated.
CNN correspondent Sara Sidner, who was additionally recognized with breast most cancers, however opted for a double mastectomy, chemo, and radiation, spoke about Lewis’ passing on-air.
Fellow CNN journalist Stephanie Elam joined Sidner for the dialog about their mutual longtime good friend, sharing a textual content message she had obtained from her “bestie” Lewis earlier than she misplaced her life.
“That is a part of the textual content she despatched me: ‘You recognize my emotions on this. All of us go. These our bodies are on mortgage and have to be returned. We are available in love and select to depart it with love as effectively,’” Elam learn.
“She was at peace with this determination,” Elam mentioned. “She was calm about it. She wished to go after breast most cancers the best way she did it, and I like my woman, however she was hard-headed.”
MTV VJ Ananda Lewis voiced a era and constructed a powerful neighborhood of music lovers. As we mourn her premature passing, we all know the sunshine she delivered to the trade will stay on – as seen by her many joyous interactions with artists, tastemakers, and audiences in all places. ♥️ pic.twitter.com/b8Roe5XK5c
— MTV (@MTV) June 13, 2025
Lewis addressed her altering viewpoints about therapy in a January 2025 essay printed by Essence.
“I don’t need the story to be that as a result of I mentioned no to the standard path I used to be initially provided, that’s why I ended up at Stage 4. That’s not true,” she wrote. “Typically, folks find yourself right here whether or not they do standard or not.”
“I don’t need to spend yet one more minute than I’ve to struggling unnecessarily,” she continued. “That, for me, just isn’t the standard of life I’m concerned with. When it’s time for me to go, I need to have the ability to look again on my life and say, I did that precisely how I wished to.”
The Los Angeles Occasions reported that Lewis died whereas in hospice care at her Los Angeles residence, surrounded by household. The San Diego native is survived by a 14-year-old son named Langston, who graduated from center college on the day of her dying.
