MTV Star Ananda Lewis Dies at 52 After Brave Fight with Breast Cancer

Popular former MTV VJ and talk show host Ananda Lewis has died at the age of 52 after a years-long battle with breast cancer.

Her sister, Lakshmi Amory, confirmed the news in a touching Facebook post, writing, “She is free and in the arms of her heavenly father.” Amory told TMZ that Ananda passed away in hospice care at her home in Los Angeles.

Ananda first shared her breast cancer diagnosis in 2020. She found a lump during a self-exam and later learned it was stage III breast cancer. She had avoided getting mammograms for years due to fear of radiation.

“I need you to share this with the women in your life,” she said in her first announcement. “Mammograms save lives. Don’t wait like I did.”

Personal Choice

Doctors advised her to have a double mastectomy, but Ananda chose a different path. She focused on cleansing her body, changing her diet, improving her sleep, and trying natural remedies. She believed that healing involved more than just medication.

“I decided to keep the tumor and try to treat it in other ways,” she said.

Later, she combined both natural and medical treatments, including a method called insulin-potentiated chemotherapy in Arizona. But the cost became a challenge, and by October 2023, scans showed that her cancer had spread to her spine, hips, and lymph nodes.

A Voice for Change

Anand has always used her voice to help others. She has spoken openly about how black women face greater risks from breast cancer and often distrust the medical system because of past injustices.

“We don’t trust doctors, and that fear is very old,” she said. “But we have to move beyond that.”

American Cancer Society data shows that black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, even though both are affected at the same rate.

Her TV Career

Anand began her career on BET’s “Teen Summit,” where she spoke about teen issues and interviewed people like Hillary Clinton and Kobe Bryant. In 1997, MTV hired her as a VJ, and she quickly became one of their biggest stars. She hosted shows such as:

• Total Request Live (TRL)
• Hot Zone
• MTV Live

In 2001, she left MTV to host her own daytime talk show, “The Anand Lewis Show,” which ran for more than 250 episodes. She later worked as a correspondent on CBS’s “The Insider” and made guest appearances on several TV shows.

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Finding Joy Through Struggle

In a 2024 interview with CNN, Ananda spoke about her journey with her close friends, Stephanie Elam and Sara Sidner. She met them during her freshman year at Howard University, and they have remained close ever since.

“This journey is personal,” she told them. “You have to do what’s right for you.”

Despite everything, Ananda said cancer helped change parts of her life that she had long ignored.

“It brought me closer to joy. I finally started living the way I wanted to live,” she said.

Rightly Informed honors the life and legacy of Ananda Louise – a fearless woman who used her voice to inspire others through her toughest battles. Let her story be a reminder: Early diagnosis can save lives.

FAQs: People Also Ask

Q1. What type of cancer did Anand Lewis have?

Anand Lewis had stage 3 breast cancer. She was diagnosed in 2019. Doctors told her to have a double mastectomy, but she refused and went with a different plan.

Q2. Did Anand Lewis have her own talk show?

Yes, she started her own talk show in 2001. It was called “The Anand Lewis Show.” Before that, she was known as a VJ on MTV.

Q3. What happened to Anand Lewis?

In 2020, Anand said she had breast cancer. The following year, it had reached stage 4. She passed away after battling the disease for years. Her family shared the news online.

Q4. What is Anand Lewis’ background?

Anand was born in 1973 in San Diego, California. She was African American and Native American. Her roots came from the Creek and Blackfeet tribes. In Sanskrit, his name “Ananda” means “joy”.

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