Ananda Lewis, the former video jockey who hosted MTV’s ”Total Request Live” in the ’90s, has died at the age of 52. Her sister, Lakshmi, posted a photo Wednesday of Ananda on Facebook alongside the caption, “She’s free, and in His heavenly arms.”
Though no further details have been shared regarding the cause of death, Lewis revealed in an Instagram post in 2020 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The TV personality released another update last fall, letting fans know the cancer had metastasized after she opted against her physicians’ recommendation to get a double mastectomy — a surgery that removes all breast tissue.
“They wanted to take both [breasts]. They wanted to do all of these big things that I was not ready for,” Lewis said in a roundtable discussion on CNN. Instead, she changed her diet, tweaked her sleep routine and made other lifestyle modifications in an effort to flush toxins out of her body. (It’s been reported that later in her cancer journey, she underwent chemotherapy.)
Here’s why so many people with cancer — like Lewis — opt for alternative treatments (like chiropractic medicine or herbal remedies) instead of radiation, chemotherapy or surgery. And how choosing an alternative path can affect your outcomes.
