Tributes pour in for Ananda Lewis as the culture grieves her death
Fans and peers honor Ananda Lewis, former MTV VJ and activist, after her death at 52 following a long battle
Fans and peers honor Ananda Lewis, former MTV VJ and activist, after her death at 52 following a long battle with breast cancer.
This week, the media world is mourning the loss of Ananda Lewis, a former media powerhouse and activist who made space for Black girls to be smart, stylish, and unapologetically themselves on screen. As previously reported by theGrio, Lewis had been battling breast cancer for years, and on June 11, her family confirmed that she passed away at 52.
“I loved hard and lived loud and didn’t back away from problems,” Lewis told Kelley Carter in 2024 when asked how she wanted to be remembered. “[That I] loved this life and was okay with letting it go, too. It’s a temporary situation, so do your best; that’s all we’re all doing is our best.”
And her love and the legacy she built with it will certainly be remembered. Lewis was a cultural mainstay, offering a blueprint for what it meant to shine in front of the camera without compromising your values. Her rise from “Teen Summit” to MTV to outspoken advocate showed a generation of Black viewers that media could be a place where we not only existed but thrived.
“Ananda Lewis was really a media blueprint in so many ways— on-air correspondent, host, model, activist. She was the informed It Girl of her era. Such an inspiration,” one user tweeted.
Tributes have been pouring in not just from fans, but from her inner circle and peers across industries. From her longtime best friend Stephanie Elam to AJ Calloway, Kelly Rowland, DL Hughley, and many more, people are taking to social media to reflect on what Lewis meant to them and the culture.
“She was good energy and joy. She was fiercely loyal and deeply loving. She was an awesome mother, a dedicated auntie to my daughter, a giving human and she was my best friend for two-thirds of our lives,” Elam wrote on Instagram reflecting on how the two met at Howard University at just 17 and 18 years old. “Her first day on the air on MTV, I was there – just off camera – to cheer her on. She was there for me for every birthday, when I got divorced, when my Dad died and on 9/11 in NYC when I couldn’t get home. We were there for each other in the big moments and the quiet everyday ones – the no makeup mommying days and our annual “framily” traditions with our kids – which we never missed.”
“I’m so glad she’s no longer in pain but I’m not quite sure how to life this life without her,” she concluded the tribute post.
“She was the queen of the campus without ever needing a crown. Intelligent, fierce, and effortlessly beautiful straight outta the West Coast, humble yet a boss,” “106 & Park” alum, AJ Calloway, captioned an Instagram post honoring the “coolest friend” he had at Howard University. “She brought a distinct voice and unmatched energy that made the world stop and take notice…We’ve lost a brilliant, beautiful soul far too soon.”
Journalist Jemele Hill reflected on the first time she met Lewis, shortly after she moved to Los Angeles, and specifically recalled how full circle it felt meeting the“Teen Summit” host: “She was my big sister in my head back then and I was kind of nervous when we hung out. I just couldn’t believe I was hanging out with THEE ANANDA LEWIS.[…] RIP, Ananda. Thank you for always living comfortably in your skin and thus giving us permission to live comfortably in ours.”
I have the most amazing Memories of Ananda Lewis! Interviews, yeah!
But my far is us singing Together at a SADE concert, at THE TOP of Our lungs! We both left hoarse, but did not care!
Her spirit, SOUL, her ❤️ …..she was just an ALL Around cool beautiful,
FLY, woman! I am at a… pic.twitter.com/3dBdYbMK6O— KELENDRIA ROWLAND (@KELLYROWLAND) June 12, 2025
From her days anchoring “Teen Summit,” to redefining cool at MTV, to holding space as a talk show host and later using her platform as a health and wellness advocate, Ananda Lewis embodied a grounded brilliance that made you feel seen. Her presence was always a reminder: you didn’t have to dim your light to lead with truth.
And that light won’t be forgotten.
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