Ananda Lewis, '90s MTV Star, Dies at 52
Ananda Lewis, a former MTV host who was one of the network's most popular stars, has died after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 52.
Her death was announced by her sister, Dr. Lakshmi Emory, in a social media post late Wednesday. The post did not say when or where Lewis died or give a specific cause.
Lewis said last year that her breast cancer, which she first learned she had in 2019, had metastasized and reached a late stage that most doctors would consider incurable.
She rose to television stardom in the 1990s as a V.J., or 'video jockey,' on MTV, hosting shows including 'Hot Zone,' in which she interviewed stars and gave style advice between introducing music videos.
In 1999, The New York Times described her as 'the hip-hop generation's reigning It Girl.' 'Hot Zone' had made Lewis one of the network's two most popular stars, the other being Carson Daly, the network said at the time. She also sometimes hosted the network's hugely popular show 'Total Request Live' as well as its 'Spring Break' programs.
Lewis first gained recognition in the 1990s when she was hired to host 'Teen Summit,' a long-running weekly live show on BET that was intended to speak to Black teenagers about current issues. In 1996, she interviewed Hillary Clinton, who was the first lady at the time.
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