Ananda Lewis‘ friends opened up about their final interactions with the former MTV VJ during a segment on CNN.
Correspondent Stephanie Elam joined Sara Sidner on air on Thursday, June 12, to discuss their conversations with Lewis, which included her decision to opt for a holistic approach to cancer treatment.
“One thing I want everyone to know is that she was at peace with this decision,” Elam, 51, said about Lewis. “She had come to grips with it.”
Elam recalled visiting Lewis the day before her death at 52 following a battle with stage IV cancer, adding, “We thought we had weeks and it turned out that it turned into days and it turned out it was just a matter of hours. It happened very quickly how things changed.”
During the live show, Elam chose to read Lewis’ final message to the audience.
“She texted me and said things had taken a different turn than she would have liked,” Elam revealed. “This is part of the text she sent me: ‘You know my feelings on this. We all go. These bodies are on loan and must be returned. We come in love and choose to leave it with love as well.’”
She added: “And then she goes on to say, ‘I love you my wonderful lifelong bestie of besties.’”
Lewis’ family announced her death seven years after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Lewis previously spoke out about avoiding regular mammograms for years due to a fear of radiation.
“If I had known what I know now 10 years ago, perhaps I wouldn’t have ended up here,” she wrote for Essence in January. “I would have been cold plunging, exercising consistently, making sure my vitamin D levels were good, detoxing my body on a monthly and yearly basis, and sleeping better. I would’ve been doing all the things I’ve been forced to do now, to keep my body from creating more cancer and remove what it has already made.”
According to Elam, Lewis’ approach to her cancer treatment was a complicated topic.
“I love my girl, but she was hard-headed,” Elam said of Lewis’ approach to her cancer treatment. “She wanted to do it her own way despite the fact that so many of us close to her wanted her to try the way that [Sara Sidner] did it. But this is what she wanted to do and she was totally at peace with it.”
Lewis, Elam and Sidner, 53, originally discussed cancer treatment options in an October 2024 episode. While Sidner chose the traditional treatment route of getting a double mastectomy, undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, Lewis chose not to sign off on a double mastectomy and shifted to a more holistic approach to treatment
Important note: “If you are thinking about using an alternative method instead of standard treatment, be sure to talk to your doctor first. It can be a challenge to find trustworthy information about the safety and effectiveness of alternative treatments. Also, some of these treatments can require a lot of time and money, and they may require travel away from your family and friends,” the American Cancer Society cautions on its website. “Choosing alternative treatment instead of mainstream cancer treatments might put you at serious risk. Delays or interruptions in standard treatment can give the cancer more time to grow. Even early stage cancers can become hard to treat successfully if proven treatment is delayed long enough.”
