Ananda Lewis, who was a veejay on MTV in the late 1990s and early 2000s, has died at the age of 52, reports say.
A post on social media from her sister, LS Emory, confirmed Lewis’ death. “She’s free and in His heavenly arms,“ Emory says in the post. ”Lord, rest her soul.”
Emory did not say how Lewis died, but Lewis announced in 2020 that she had been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.
Lewis joined MTV in 1997, People reports. She hosted “Total Request Live” and “Hot Zone” before leaving in 2001 to host her own talk show.
NBC News reports that after being diagnosed with cancer, Lewis declined to undergo a double mastectomy recommended by doctors. She instead tried a range of “alternative methods,” NBC reports, including ceasing consumption of alcohol and sugar. She also had monthly ultrasounds, high-dose vitamin C IVs and hyperbaric chamber sessions.
In October 2023, a scan confirmed the cancer had progressed to Stage 4, NBC News reports.
She later encouraged women to become informed about breast cancer and to undergo regular checkups.
