Ananda Lewis, the premier former MTV VJ and television personality idol of one’s youth, very nearly succumbed to it all at the blessed age of 52. Her sister, Lakshmi Emory, took to Facebook to announce the news in a touching tribute. That announcement sadly concludes a delightful life dedicated to advocacy and media. Early life and education Lewis was born March 21, 1973, in Los Angeles. She made an indelible impact on the entertainment industry, and her frank conversations about health and wellness inspired many.
Lewis started her television career at BET, anchoring their ground-breaking program “Teen Summit” in 1993. Her charisma and everywoman relatability made her an instant star, launching her path to a long and prosperous run as an MTV VJ. From there, she went on to become a household personality across programs such as “Total Request Live” and “Hot Zone.” In 2001, she launched “The Ananda Lewis Show,” where she tackled various topics with compassion and insight. Correspondent on FRONTLINE’s The Inside Story, 2004-2017. This experience added to her acumen as a leading authoritative and trusted voice in entertainment news.
In October 2020, Lewis shared the news of her breast cancer diagnosis in a tearful Instagram video. Her mission was to spread awareness and inspire other women to take their health into their own hands by receiving mammograms. When she was diagnosed, she was fighting Stage 3 cancer.
During this time, Lewis decided to seek homeopathic treatments. He rejected the double-mastectomy diagnosis with a side of traditional chemotherapy, opting instead for dietary changes and fractionated chemotherapy. She cited anxiety around radiation exposure as a major reason for not regularly getting mammograms, influencing her decision to opt out of the procedure.
I just felt like I couldn’t make that extreme surgical change in my life at that point, Lewis stated in an interview. She was aware of how intimidating her diagnosis was. That cancer doesn’t get to run roughshod over everything else in your life,” she continued. Cancer is something that happens on top of your life, and for me, it was simply too much to handle right away.
As Lewis’ battle with cancer continued, she came to the painful realization of what it meant to have Stage 4 breast cancer. In an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Kelley L. Carter, she got candid about her wild ride. She shared her aspirations to be there wholeheartedly for her toddler-aged son. “I still have a lot of work to do. … I wish I could go back. I have a 9-year-old I need to be here for,” she said.
During her entire diagnosis, Lewis was determined to only harbor thoughts about what she could control. “Every day I get, I’m grateful for. What I do is focus on what I can fix. And what I can control,” she emphasized.
Lewis was always fearlessly herself, unwilling to suppress her truth. I’m not going to sit here and argue with people over their views. That has no bearing on my life. It’s a waste of my time. And I don’t have time to f**k around,” she continued, underscoring her dedication to realness.
In her closing hours, Lewis wished to be memorialized not for her illness, but rather for her enthusiasm for existence. That I cared big and hurt big and raged real and stole joy and face-planted often but never gave up on life. And was cool about losing it too,” she said.
