As a Black female voice in media, Ananda Lewis’s impact broke many invisible barriers, challenging stereotypes and paving the way for the generation that followed.

CNN anchor Sara Sidner and CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam tearfully mourned the death of their close friend, former MTV VJ Ananda Lewis.

Ananda Lewis has died at the age of 52. She became known in the '90s as a BET host and MTV VJ before launching her own TV talk show. In 2020, she revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.