Who is Ananda Lewis’ sister? Lakshmi Emory mourns sibling’s passing in emotional post

The entertainment and television world was saddened by the death of TV host and MTV VJ Ananda Lewis on June 11, 2025, who had been battling breast cancer for years. Amongst the many words of tribute and condolence that have been said online, an emotional post from her sister, Dr. Lakshmi Emory, stands out, as she broke the tragic news on Facebook.

"She’s free, and in His heavenly arms. Lord, rest her soul." Emory wrote in her post.

Though Ananda Lewis is widely known for her positive personality and stirring voice in the media, from hosting BET’s Teen Summit to becoming a presenter on MTV’s Total Request Live, few people know the sister who was by her side through it all.

According to WebMD, Dr. Lakshmi Sri Emory is an established physician. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine in 2000.

Emory has spent her career working to increase access and improve the delivery of healthcare, especially in the field of behavioral health. She is the CMO of Aetna Better Health of Illinois and has been instrumental in meeting the mental health needs in the pandemic era.

Despite following different professional paths, one a media personality and one a medical leader, the sisters had a strong lifelong bond. Lewis had publicly complimented Lakshmi in the past, describing her as a “phenomenal sister” in a birthday post.

A look into Ananda Lewis’ struggles with breast cancer

Ananda Lewis was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2019 and kept her diagnosis a secret for many years. When she did speak out, she honestly detailed her condition and chose not to undergo an early mammogram because of her concerns regarding radiation.

"It’s not that I don’t trust the medical community. I do, with certain things, but I see a flaw in how they think about treating cancer. So I knew that I would address it in a different way." She told Essence.

Ananda Lewis later found and tried out alternative therapies. Over time, she combined traditional and integrative treatments, including genetically targeted chemotherapy.

By 2023, she had Stage 4 cancer. In her most recent interview, which appeared in Essence magazine, Lewis wrote about her journey and encouraged women to be more concerned about their health.

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"If I had known what I know now 10 years ago, perhaps I wouldn’t have ended up here... I encourage people to look at the information and studies that exist. Seek them out, learn from them and apply the changes to your life." She said.

Over the past few years, Lewis had turned herself into a part-time social media influencer who talked about the importance of health and nutrition.

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