Ananda Lewis, a renowned TV personality, has passed away at the age of 52. The news was announced by Lakshmi, Lewis's sister, through a Facebook post on Wednesday, June 11.

Lewis was a popular MTV VJ, hosting shows like Total Request Live and Hot Zone. In 1999, The New York Times dubbed her "the hip-hop generation's reigning It Girl." She left MTV in 2001 to host her own talk show, The Ananda Lewis Show.

In 2020, Lewis revealed that she had been diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. She said that she had not been getting regular mammograms because of her fear of radiation. In October 2024, Lewis took part in a roundtable discussion with CNN's Stephanie Elam (her friend from college) and CNN anchor Sara Sidner, where she revealed that she went against medical advice and did not have a double mastectomy after she was diagnosed. Her tumor had metastasized, and her cancer had progressed to stage IV, she shared.

Lewis was born in Los Angeles in 1973. Her parents divorced when she was 2, and she and her sister, Lakshmi, moved with her mother to live with their grandmother in San Diego. In 1999, Lewis opened up to Teen People about her difficult relationship with her mother as a child and teenager.

Lewis became one of MTV's most popular hosts. She interviewed celebrities including Destiny's Child, Brandy, NSYNC, Britney Spears, and many more. She also ended up covering heavier topics for the network, including violence in schools and the 2001 death of Aaliyah, who was her close friend.

In 2000, PEOPLE named Lewis one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. She also made frequent appearances at celebrity events. Even Prince was a vocal fan; he told The New York Times, "Ananda is Cleopatra. You know she's a queen."

Lewis left her MTV role in 2001 and began hosting her eponymous talk show. "I wanted a change," she told Teen People at the time. "It was a matter of proving to myself that I can do [this]." The series, which premiered on September 10, 2001, lasted one season.

Lewis took a break from television and later appeared as a host on The Insider, a spin-off of Entertainment Tonight. She also appeared on the reality series Celebrity Mole: Yucatán and hosted A&E's America's Top Dog and TLC's While You Were Out. Lewis also became a contractor and carpenter.

Lewis is survived by her son, Langston.

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