For Black Gen Xers and early Millennials, Ananda Lewis was much more than a television host. She was a breath of fresh air who represented them to their highest calling. Lewis countered the stereotypes and false narratives about African American youth – Black women in particular – that permeated mainstream media.
As a co-host of BET’s “Teen Summit” In the mid-1990s, Lewis helped give a platform for expression to young people who were often written off as statistics. On Saturday mornings, she facilitated a sounding board for the issues they faced. “Teen Summit” provided the rare opportunity for them to share their thoughts, feelings and possible solutions on everything from the AIDS crisis in the Black community, gun violence and education.
Lewis passed away on Wednesday, June 11 after a courageous battle with breast cancer. She was 52.
“As the host of BET’s ‘Teen Summit,’ she didn’t just lead conversations—she sparked change, empowering a generation to speak up, love themselves, and think deeper,” BET said in a tribute to her on their social media channels. “Ananda brought brilliance, beauty, and authenticity to every space she entered. Her impact lives on through the countless lives she touched, both on and off screen.”
Her sister Lakshmi Lewis announced news of her death in a Facebook post.
“She’s free, and in His heavenly arms,” she wrote, alongside a series of broken heart emojis and a black and white portrait of Lewis. “Lord, rest her soul.”
Born in Los Angeles and raised in San Diego, Lewis was a graduate of Howard University, She captured the attention of mainstream popular culture when she became a VJ for MTV in 1997. Lewis hosted some of the networks most popular shows like “Hot Zone” and “Total Request Live” – which later became an essential promotional stop for stars of music, film and television. In 1999, she was dubbed “the hip-hop generation’s reigning ‘It Girl’ by The New York Times.
Lewis represented “Black excellence” long before the term was a part of the culture’s vernacular. She left MTV in 2001 to host her own talk show, “The Ananda Lewis Show.” The show lasted one season, but she continued to work as an entertainment news correspondent.
She took a break from television to work as a carpenter and contractor. She returned to television as the host of HGTV’s “While You Were Out.”
In 2020, Lewis revealed in an Instagram post that she had been diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. In the post, she admitted that she had not been getting regular mammograms because of her fear of radiation.
“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 the announcement. “Early detection, especially for breast cancer, changes your outcome. It can save their life.”
Four years later, while participating in a CNN roundtable about the disease, Lewis confessed that she decided not to undergo a double mastectomy – despite being advised to do so. As a result, her tumor metastasized. Her cancer progressed to stage IV.
“My plan at first was to get out excessive toxins in my body. I felt like my body is intelligent, I know that to be true. Our bodies are brilliantly made,” Lewis said during the roundtable. “I decided to keep my tumor and try to work it out of my body a different way…I wish I could go back. It’s important for me to admit where I went wrong with this.”
Lewis is survived by a son she shares with Harry Smith, brother of Will Smith.
“We honor the life and legacy of Ananda Lewis,” BET said. “An unforgettable voice, trailblazer, and truth-teller.”
Information from CNN.com contributed to this report.