Ananda Lewis found a sense of peace in her final days.
The MTV VJ shared a poignant last text with her close friend, CNN reporter Stephanie Elam, during an emotional conversation streamed on CNN last Thursday.
Elam revealed that in her message, Lewis expressed that her health had declined quite dramatically, leading her to a path she hadn’t initially chosen.
“In the text she sent me, she said, ‘You know how I feel about this. We’re all going to go. These bodies are just borrowed, waiting to be returned,’” Elam recounted.
Lewis passed away on Wednesday after nearly five years battling breast cancer. She was 52 years old.
A well-known television personality, she had been candid about opting out of a double mastectomy and chemotherapy, instead preferring a holistic treatment approach. This was discussed during a heartfelt exchange between Sidner and Elam that occurred in October 2024.
Elam shared, “She felt at peace with her decision; she was calm. She chose her own journey with breast cancer. But I loved her, and she could be quite stubborn.”
Elam also mentioned that many of Lewis’s family and friends leaned toward more traditional cancer treatments, highlighting her determination to follow her own path, despite their wishes.
“She was at ease with her choices, even if they were different from what many of us thought was best,” she said, referring to Sidner’s choice for more conventional therapies.
Lewis, who Elam affectionately called her “ride or die,” had initially hoped for more time with her loved ones, but her condition deteriorated quickly.
Elam emphasized that Lewis’s legacy included opening up discussions about diverse strategies in the fight against breast cancer, noting that their conversation might have, in some way, saved lives.
In their October 2024 interview, Lewis shared that after her diagnosis, she planned to manage her tumor differently. She mentioned changing her diet and sleep patterns to eliminate toxins while pursuing aggressive homeopathic treatments alongside conventional methods.
Sadly, her breast cancer escalated to stage 4 and she passed away eight months post-interview.
Lewis is survived by her son, Langston, whom she welcomed with Harry Smith, Will Smith’s brother, in 2011.
