Ananda Lewis dead at 52: Former MTV VJ battled stage four breast cancer after refusing double mastectomy
Ananda Lewis had died at the age of 52 after losing her nearly seven-year battle with breast cancer.
The former MTV VJ — also known for The Ananda Lewis Show and her work on The Insider — passed away on Wednesday, June 11, according to a Facebook post made by her sister Lakshmi Emory.
Lakshmi shared a black and white portrait of Ananda with the caption: "She's free, and in His heavenly arms. Lord, rest her soul [prayer emoji]'
Ananda announced to fans in late 2020 that she'd been privately battling stage 3 breast cancer for two years.
She also admitted that she'd avoided getting regular mammograms due to fear of radiation exposure.
Last October, Ananda confirmed that her cancer had advanced to stage IV after deciding not to undergo a double mastectomy when she was first diagnosed.
She told CNN that she had originally planned to 'keep my tumor and try to work it out of my body a different way.'
But when her tumor eventually metastasized, Ananda realized that she probably 'should have' gone through with the life-saving surgery.
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