Was Danielle Spencer married? All about What’s happening star’s personal life as she passes away

The recent passing of Danielle Spencer, after her long battle with cancer, has drawn public attention to her family. She was 60. Spencer’s brother, Jeremy Pelt, paid tribute to his sister in a heartfelt post on Instagram, noting:

“August 11, 2025 will forever be a reminder of the day that I lost a big part of myself. After many years, my big sister, Dr. Danielle Louise Spencer lost her battle with cancer”

He added:

“She was a friend, an auntie to my three children who adored her, she was a daughter- and in many ways, my mother's best friend, she was a veterinarian, she was someone who always remained positive even during her darkest days fighting this disease. And she was MY sister and protector.”

According to a report in Variety, Danielle Spencer got married twice in her life. She first tied the knot with Garry Fields in 1999. He was a marketing manager and her publicist. However, they divorced in 2013. She then married David L. David, a fashion designer and entrepreneur, in 2014. However, it remains unclear if the two were married at the time of her death.

Understanding more about the life of Danielle Spencer

Danielle Spencer was best known for her role as Dee Thomas in the ABC 1970s TV series What's Happening!! and its sequel, What's Happening Now!!. She began her acting career at the age of eight, and eventually gained fame portraying the younger sister on the popular sitcom. "Ooh, I'm gonna tell mama," was her famous catchphrase from the show.

In 1977, a car crash turned her life upside down that killing her stepfather, Tim Pelt, and leaving her in a coma for three weeks. Following her unfortunate accident, she faced multiple health challenges, including spinal stenosis, breast cancer, and a brain bleed.

According to Variety, she was first married to Garry Fields and later tied the knot with David L. David in 2014. The two were co-hosts on the podcast, Living with Danielle and David. On the podcast, they discussed love, marriage, and their work with their audience. David was a New Jersey-based entrepreneur who owned a clothing brand called Ego Trippin' Apparel.

Danielle Spencer met David through What’s Happening!! co-star Ernest Thomas, as per a report in House and Whips. After their marriage, they relocated to Richmond, Virginia, to stay close to David’s family, while she continued to work as a veterinarian.

She lived with her mother, Cheryl Pelt. She was also an animal lover and had three dogs - a King Charles spaniel, a cocker spaniel, and a Shih Tzu.

A report in Newsweek stated that Danielle Spencer was inducted into the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, the first child star to receive the honor. It was during that time that Oprah Winfrey’s crew came to her mother’s condo to film her for their interview.

Speaking about her experience at the museum, she told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in November 2016:

“The building is beautiful. I was speechless. It took me three or four days just to recover from all the excitement, all the pictures, all the music. It’s a lot. I still haven’t seen everything.”

She added:

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“Who would think, 40 years later, this would happen? This was before the internet and everything. You just don’t think in the future what could happen.”

Her last acting role was in 2001 in Days of Our Lives, where she portrayed the role of Salem Place Vendor, as per Newsweek.

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