LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ananda Lewis, the former MTV and BET host who became a beloved television personality in the 1990s with her warmth and authenticity, has died. She was 52.
Her sister, Lakshmi Emory, confirmed Lewis’ death in a Facebook post Wednesday. Lewis had been battling breast cancer.
“She’s free, and in His heavenly arms,” Emory wrote. “Lord, rest her soul.”
Lewis, a San Diego native, made a name for herself as a host on BET’s “Teen Summit,” which tackled issues facing Black youths and featured community leaders, entertainers and politicians. She landed big interviews with Kobe Bryant, Tupac Shakur and Louis Farrakhan and then-first lady Hillary Clinton, which earned her an NAACP Image Award.
After a few seasons, Lewis took her talents over to MTV in 1997. She was a host and veejay on “MTV Live,” “Hot Zone” and “Total Request Live,” a daily top 10 video countdown show.
In 2001, Lewis moved to daytime talk with her new syndicated series, “The Ananda Lewis Show.” The show lasted only one season. But a few years later, she became a correspondent for “The Insider,” a spinoff of “Entertainment Tonight.”
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