Ananda Lewis, a former MTV Video Jockey and talk show host, passed away at the age of 52 on June 11, 2025. Her death was confirmed by her sister. In the late 90s and early 00s, Lewis was a significant figure on television, bridging millions of viewers to music, culture, and social matters through her work on MTV and BET.
Here’s what we know so far about Ananda Lewis’s death.
Ananda Lewis dead at 52, claims report
Ananda Lewis, once a popular MTV VJ and talk show host, passed away at 52 years old. Her sister, Lakshmi Emory, announced the sad news on Facebook on June 11th, expressing that she is now in heaven with God’s embrace. No specific information about the cause of her death has been disclosed yet.
Back in the late ’90s, I found myself stepping into the limelight as I joined MTV, where I hosted shows like Total Request Live and Hot Zone. In ’99, The New York Times even dubbed me “the It Girl of the hip-hop generation.” A few years later, in 2001, I decided to move on from MTV and took charge of my own talk show, The Ananda Lewis Show, which ran for over 250 episodes before wrapping up after a single season.
In the year 2020, Lewis disclosed that she had received a diagnosis of stage III breast cancer following her procrastination on getting mammograms. “I urge you to spread this information to the females in your circle who might be as resistant as I was towards regular mammograms,” she stated in an Instagram video. Later, in 2024, Lewis divulged that her cancer had advanced to stage IV. “If only I could turn back time,” she said during a conversation with CNN anchors Sara Sidner and Stephanie Elam.
Born in Los Angeles in 1973, Ananda Lewis grew up in San Diego under the care of her mother and grandmother. After completing her education at Howard University in 1995, she quickly moved on to hosting BET’s Teen Summit, where she had the opportunity to interview notable figures such as Hillary Clinton and Kobe Bryant. In the same year, she also joined MTV.
Apart from her work as a carpenter and property developer, Lewis has made appearances on shows like The Insider, Celebrity Mole: Yucatán, and America’s Top Dog. Additionally, she’s advocated for health consciousness and penned an article in Essence magazine titled “Prevention is the True Healing.
Her son, Langston, survives her. She shared him with Harry Smith, brother of Will Smith.
Read More
2025-06-12 08:10