Ananda Lewis has passed
Ananda Lewis, a former MTV VJ and Teen Summit host, shared recently that her breast cancer has metastasized and is currently in stage IV.
Lewis, 52, disclosed in a 2020 Instagram post that she had been diagnosed with stage III cancer. She stated that she had declined mammograms for years because of her apprehension regarding radiation exposure.
However, during a round-table discussion on cancer with CNN's Stephanie Elam and CNN correspondent Sara Sidner, who was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer early this year, Lewis disclosed that she defied her physicians' advice to undergo a double mastectomy subsequent to her diagnosis.
“My plan at first was to get out excessive toxins in my body." I felt like my body was intelligent; I know that to be true. Lewis explained that our bodies are incredibly intelligent.
“I decided to keep my tumor and try to work it out of my body a different way,” she shared. “Looking back on that, I go, ‘You know what? Maybe I should have.”
Lewis was born in Los Angeles and is of African American and Native American descent, with a particular affinity for the Blackfoot and Creek nations. She was host of the pioneering show Teen Summit.
After a successful audition, Teen Summit appointed Lewis as its presenter. For three seasons, she addressed significant issues facing adolescents in front of a television audience in the few millions. Lewis was able to apply the skills she had acquired at the performing arts school in San Diego and pursue her passion for assisting young people as a result of the show's topical, debate-driven format. On an episode of the program "It Takes a Village" in 1996, Lewis conducted an interview with Hillary Clinton, who had published a book with the same title earlier that year. In 1996, Teen Summit was also nominated for a CableACE Award. The following year, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) presented Lewis with an Image Award for her work on Black Entertainment Television (BET). Shortly thereafter, the cable network MTV offered Lewis a position as a program presenter and video jockey. She was deeply troubled by the prospect of departing Teen Summit; in fact, she was quoted by multiple sources as stating that she "cried for three weeks" as she contemplated her options. [four] The deciding factor in her decision to transition to MTV was the potential to significantly expand her viewing audience and influence the youth of America.
Lewis has hosted and served as a video jockey for a diverse array of programs, including Total Request Live, a daily top ten video countdown show, and Hot Zone, which featured her interviews with musicians and other notable figures, as well as music videos. During a particularly memorable episode of Hot Zone, she criticized rapper Q-Tip for the number of seductively clad dancers in one of his videos. Bob Kusbit, MTV's senior vice president for production, remarked to Douglas Century in The New York Times on November 21, 1999, about Lewis's broadcasting expertise: "In the past, our talent was occasionally comprised of attractive individuals who could read cue cards." However, with Ananda's arrival at MTV, the network decided to focus on a significantly higher amount of live television. Additionally, Lewis was enlisted by MTV to host other topical programs, such as two forums on violence in schools that aired following the Columbine High School massacre, as well as several memorial tributes for singer Aaliyah, who tragically passed away in a plane crash in 2001. For her role as the host of the MTV special True Life: I Am Driving While Black, Lewis received another NAACP Image Award in 2001.
Lewis was appointed as the chief correspondent for prominent subjects on the nationally syndicated nightly entertainment program, The Insider, in 2004. This show is a spin-off of the popular Entertainment Tonight. In the spring of 2005, she conducted interviews with notable figures such as Paris Hilton, Dylan Ryder, Don Cheadle, Ryan Phillippe, and actress Dyan Cannon. Additionally, Lewis has made guest appearances on various sitcoms.
In 2004, Ms. Lewis participated in the ABC network's reality program, Celebrity Mole: Yucatán. This reality series won the Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Enhanced Television. Eight.
Lewis is a passionate animal advocate who has served as a spokesperson for the Humane Society and co-hosted the A&E program America's Top Dog, where she often introduces various segments. She takes her two beloved chihuahuas with her when she speaks to interviewers. Additionally, she has been a spokesperson for Reading Is Fundamental, a nonprofit organization focused on literacy.
Lewis in addition to all her accolades was also a mother.