In the 90s, many MTV VJs gained prominence, and at one point, they were even more popular than any sports athletes. Alan Hunter, J.J. Jackson, Mark Goodman, Nina Blackwood, and Martha Quinn were the early pioneers. La La Anthony also gained popularity with her VJ stint with MTV in 2001. But before her, it was Ananda Lewis who catapulted to success and earned titles from the New York Times. Sadly, the former VJ lost her battle to breast cancer, and it was her sister who shared the news.

Lakshmi Emory, Ananda’s sister, announced the sad news of her passing on Facebook. She wrote, “She’s free, and in His heavenly arms. Lord, rest her soul.” Lewis was 52 years old and is survived by her son, Langston, whom she had with Harry Smith, brother of actor Will Smith. Lewis was born in Los Angeles in 1973, and after graduating from Howard University in 1995, became a host on BET’s “Teen Summit” series, which got her noticed by MTV. In 1997, she became one of the most popular hosts on the channel and interviewed the likes of Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears, NSYNC, and many more.

As the news of her passing broke, tributes started pouring in from all quarters. From the entertainment industry to NBA legends, all paid their homage to the departed soul. And one of them was La La Anthony, ex-wife of former NBA star Carmelo Anthony. La La was one of the first ones to pay tribute to Ananda as she shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram Story.  She wrote, “Rest in Paradise Ananda 🤍🕊. Thank you for paving the way for so many like myself. Love you always😢.”

Ananda first revealed her diagnosis back in 2020. “I have been fighting to get cancer out of my body for almost two years,” she had said at the time. Now, let’s take a look at the life of one of the most celebrated VJs of her time and her long battle with cancer.

More about Ananda Lewis’s career and her battle with cancer

Before La La Anthony started hosting Total Request Live, it was Ananda Lewis who used to headline that show. She joined the network in 1997 and was also the host of Hot Zone, and was responsible for interviewing rising and established talents for the network. Later, she left MTV and in 2001, she became the host of her own talk show, ‘The Ananda Lewis Show,’ which ran from 2001 to 2002.

Lewis would later join Entertainment Tonight’s spinoff, ‘The Insider’, as a correspondent from 2004 to 2005. The former talk show host shared in 2020 that she was doing “100% alternative and natural protocols and treatments” at the time. She later candidly admitted that a longstanding fear of radiation had deterred her from undergoing regular mammograms. A decision she later expressed profound regret over.

In October 2024, during a roundtable discussion on CNN, Lewis revealed her cancer had advanced to stage IV. And eight months later, everyone’s worst fear came true when Laxmi shared that Facebook post.