Lewis rose to fame in 1997 as an MTV VJ, hosting popular shows including “Total Request Live” and “Hot Zone” during the network’s cultural peak.
Ananda Lewis, the former MTV video jockey who became a prominent television personality in the 1990s, has died after a battle with breast cancer. She was 52.
Her death was announced by her sister, Lakshmi Emory, in a Facebook post.
“She’s free, and in His heavenly arms,” Emory wrote in the post. “Lord, rest her soul.”
No additional details were immediately available.
Lewis rose to fame in 1997 as an MTV VJ, hosting popular shows including “Total Request Live” and “Hot Zone” during the network’s cultural peak. The New York Times dubbed her “the hip-hop generation’s reigning It Girl” in 1999.
She left MTV in 2001 to host her own syndicated talk show, “The Ananda Lewis Show,” which aired for one season and produced more than 250 episodes.
Lewis shared her breast cancer diagnosis in an October 2020 Instagram post, urging women to practice early detection. She revealed in October 2024 that her cancer had progressed to stage IV after she chose not to undergo a recommended double mastectomy.
“I decided to keep my tumor and try to work it out of my body a different way,” Lewis said in a CNN roundtable discussion. “I wish I could go back. It’s important for me to admit where I went wrong with this.”
In a January essay published in Essence magazine, Lewis emphasized that “prevention is the real cure” for cancer and encouraged women to pay attention to their bodies.
Lewis began her television career hosting BET’s “Teen Summit” in Washington, D.C. At MTV, Lewis interviewed major celebrities including Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears and NSYNC. She also covered serious topics for the network, including the 2001 death of singer Aaliyah, who was her close friend.
After leaving MTV, Lewis appeared on various television programs including “The Insider,” A&E’s “America’s Top Dog” and TLC’s “While You Were Out.” She also worked as a contractor and carpenter.
Lewis is survived by her son, Langston, who was born in 2011.