MTV veejay and television host Ananda Lewis dies at 52

By Michelle Richardson 
Special to the AFRO

Ananda Lewis, a former MTV veejay and TV host, has died after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. She was 52.

Lewis’s sister, Lakshmi Emory, confirmed the news on her Facebook page, posting a black-and-white photo of Lewis with the caption, “She’s free, and in His heavenly arms. Lord, rest her soul,” along with broken heart emojis. 

In 2020, Lewis announced that she had been battling stage III breast cancer after she conducted a self-exam and discovered signs of the disease. In a televised interview with ABC, Lewis talked about how she refused to undergo a doctor-recommended mastectomy. In October of 2024, Lewis revealed her cancer had progressed to stage IV. She later admitted feeling regret about not getting the possible life-saving surgery and became an advocate for early detection. 

“I need you to share this with the women in your life who may be as stubborn as I was about mammograms and I need you to tell them that they have to do it,” Lewis said in a video on her Instagram where she revealed her diagnosis. “Early detection, especially for breast cancer, changes your outcome. It can save their life.”

Lewis explained that she was against mammograms because she saw her mother get them for 30 years and still develop breast cancer. She was also a stay-at-home mom at the time and a drastic surgery such as a double mastectomy would not have fit into her life.

In her ABC interview, Lewis instead said she preferred other methods of fighting cancer paired with lifestyle changes such as detoxes, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and high dose Vitamin C IV’s; she also received radiation, made changes to her diet, and sleeping habits. 

“This journey is very personal, and you have to do what works for you and only you,” said Lewis.

Born in San Diego, California, Ananda, which means “Bliss” in Sanskrit, was involved in the arts as early as age 13. While a student at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts she studied theater, vocal music, photography and dance. After graduating high school, Lewis moved to Washington. D.C., to attend Howard University, where she thought she wanted to be a teacher. While in college, Lewis became a social activist and found her passion working with at-risk youth. 

“I had 20 young folk every day for three months per summer,” she said. “It was so intense to witness the impact of my work, and it confirmed for me that being a teacher was what I came there for.”

In fact, it was Lewis’ students who encouraged her to audition for BET’s “Teen Summit.” She was at a crossroads after graduating from Howard in 1995 and wasn’t sure whether to get a master’s degree or move back to San Diego. 

“The kids in my program were like, ‘You have to go for that audition because you always tell us that life brings you great opportunities and it’s your job to step up. Now you’re not going to step up?’ They were calling me a hypocrite. I’m grateful that I went and listened.”

Lewis auditioned and got the job, hosting “Teen Summit,” a show centered on issues such as homelessness that affected Black youth, for three seasons from 1994-1998, interviewing celebrities such as Hillary Clinton and basketball star Kobe Bryant. 

In 1997, Lewis took a job with MTV as a “veejay” (video jockey) hosting popular shows like “Total Request Live” (TRL), “True Life,” and MTV’s “Spring Break” special. 

The shock of Lewis’ death spread across social media, with celebrities and fans alike sharing their condolences and speaking on the impact Lewis had on those who knew her, including the millions of viewers who watched her on BET and MTV. 

“We’re saddened to learn of the passing of beloved MTV VJ, Ananda Lewis. Through her on air hosting and interviews, Ananda helped raise a generation of music fans. Our thoughts are with her family & loved ones,” MTV said in a tweet. 

“Literally heartbroken, I grew up with Ananda…I remember always seeing her as a MTV veejay, thinking she was so freakin beautiful, w/ an even more beautiful personality! I always loved that her & Aaliyah, my fave, were good friends too. Thanks & RIP #AnandaLewis,” wrote JussGregK on Twitter. 

“I wish she would have just taken all the medical options offered to her. That may sound selfish, but she had so much more to give the world. She really cared about the youth and people really looked up to her,” said Megan Johnson, a millennial who grew up watching Ananda Lewis. 

When asked how she wanted to be remembered in her ABC interview, Lewis had this to say: “Maybe that I loved hard and lived loud and didn’t back away from problems and loved this life, and was ok with letting it go, too,” she said with a laugh. “It’s a temporary situation, so do your best. That’s all we’re all doing is our best.”

Ananda is survived by her mother, sister and son, Langston.