MTV legend Ananda Lewis dies at 52 after breast cancer battle

TV host Ananda Lewis, known for MTV’s “TRL” and “Hot Zone,” dies at 52 after long battle with stage IV breast cancer.

Ananda Lewis, the celebrated MTV VJ and host of “Total Request Live” and “Hot Zone,” has died at the age of 52 following a lengthy battle with breast cancer.

Her death was confirmed by her sister, Lakshmi Emory. Lewis passed away at her Los Angeles home on Wednesday morning.

A prominent television personality of the late '90s and early 2000s, Lewis joined MTV in 1997, quickly becoming one of the network’s most recognizable faces. She hosted “TRL,” MTV’s flagship countdown show, and “Hot Zone,” where she conducted exclusive interviews with major musical artists. In 2001, she launched her own daytime talk show, The Ananda Lewis Show, which ran for one season.

Lewis revealed in 2020 that she had been diagnosed with stage III breast cancer, a condition she delayed screening for due to fears about radiation from mammograms. By 2024, she shared that the cancer had progressed to stage IV and had metastasized. Despite her illness, Lewis remained candid about her journey, using her platform to raise awareness about early detection.

Born in Los Angeles in 1973 and raised in San Diego, Lewis graduated from Howard University in 1995. Her media career began with BET’s Teen Summit, which led to her being noticed by MTV. After leaving the network, she also worked as a correspondent on “The Insider” and later stepped away from the limelight to pursue carpentry. In 2019, she made a brief return to television as the host of TLC’s “While You Were Out.”

Ananda Lewis is survived by her son, Langston.