Overview

• Lewis rose to fame in the late 1990s as one of MTV’s most popular VJs, hosting Total Request Live and Hot Zone before launching her own talk show in 2001.
• She was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in 2020, declined a recommended double mastectomy and pursued alternative treatments that she later regretted.
• By October 2024 Lewis’s cancer had advanced to Stage IV, and she used her platform to urge women to get regular mammograms and practice early detection.
• Lewis died on June 11 at her Los Angeles home under hospice care, ending a nearly six-year battle with the disease.
• She is survived by her husband, Harry Smith, and their son, Langston, as friends and colleagues prepare to honor her legacy at an upcoming memorial service.