Former MTV VJ Has Died Following Lengthy Battle With Breast Cancer

Former MTV VJ Ananda Lewis has died, according to a Facebook post shared by her sister, Lakshmi. Ananda announced her breast cancer diagnosis in 2020 and spent five years bravely fighting the devastating illness. She posted on Instagram shortly after her diagnosis that she refused mammograms for fear of radiation but encouraged other women to take the screenings seriously.

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“This is tough for me, but if just ONE woman decides to get her mammogram after watching this, what I’m going through will be worth it. PRACTICE EARLY DETECTION. Share this with a woman you love. These 6 minutes could help save her life,” Ananda Lewis wrote.

The former MTV VJ shared her thoughts on Breast Cancer in a winter 2025 essay in Essence Magazine. Ananda Lewis explained the COVID-19 pandemic hindered her treatments but not her spirit.

“We’re not meant to stay here forever. We come to this life, have experiences—and then we go. Being real about that with yourself changes how you choose to live. I don’t want to spend one more minute than I have to, suffering unnecessarily. That, for me, is not the quality of life I’m interested in,” Anada Lewis wrote. “When it’s time for me to go, I want to be able to look back on my life and say, I did that exactly how I wanted to. We all have that right. I know I’ve done the right thing for me. It might not be the right thing for anybody else, but it doesn’t have to be.”

Her sister shared a loving post announcing Ananda Lewis’ death on Facebook.

“She’s free, and in His heavenly arms. Lord, rest her soul,” she wrote.

“I’m so sorry for your loss. You have my sincerest condolences. God Bless you and your family,” a friend wrote.

Another condolence reads, “I’m so sorry for your loss. Praying for you and your beloved family.”

Ananda Lewis was 52.

This story’s featured image is by Everett Collection via Shutterstock.