Ananda Lewis, the trailblazing television host, model, and fierce advocate for youth, died on June 11, 2025, at the age of 52 after a courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer.

Born in Los Angeles and raised in San Diego, Ananda found her early calling in advocacy—volunteering even as a teen. She graduated cum laude from Howard University in 1995 and soon became the charismatic voice of BET’s Teen Summit, where she discussed pressing issues affecting young Black Americans and memorable interviewes with figures like First Lady Hillary Clinton.

Her magnetic presence caught MTV’s eye in 1997. Lewis went on to become one of the network’s most beloved VJs, anchoring shows like Total Request Live and Hot Zone, earning the New York Times christening her “the hip‑hop generation’s reigning It Girl” in 1999

After leaving MTV in 2001, she rode the wave again as host of The Ananda Lewis Show, a short-lived but incisively personal syndicated talk show, followed by roles on The Insider, Celebrity Mole: Yucatán, America’s Top Dog, and TLC’s While You Were Out. Beyond the screen, she constructed spaces as a skilled carpenter and contractor.

Ananda’s life took a sobering turn in 2020, when she revealed a stage III breast cancer diagnosis, citing her fear of mammograms as a painful lesson in early detection.

By late 2024, the cancer had metastasized to stage IV. In an emotional reflection, she acknowledged that her pursuit of alternative treatments—a decision she later regretted.

Loved and admired, Ananda was a devoted mother to her son, Langston, born in 2011 with Harry Smith—Will Smith’s brother—and is survived by him, along with her sister, Lakshmi, who announced her passing on Facebook. "She's free, and in His heavenly arms."

BET will always cherish Ananda's dedication to her craft and culture.