CNN anchor Sara Sidner and CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam became visibly emotional during an on-air tribute to their longtime friend Ananda Lewis, the former MTV VJ and television host who died on June 11, 2025, at 52 after battling breast cancer.
During the segment, Elam shared that Lewis’ condition shifted quickly near the end, and she read part of a final text Lewis sent—words centered on acceptance and love, including lines such as “We all go” and “These bodies are on loan.”
What did the last message represent in the tribute
The moment landed because it wasn’t framed as a performative “TV goodbye.” Elam and Sidner spoke as friends first, journalists second—trying to honor Lewis’ clarity about mortality and the affection she expressed for the people closest to her.
The friendship behind the cameras
Coverage of the tribute notes Elam and Lewis’ friendship stretched back to college at Howard University, and that they stayed close through adulthood’s milestones.
Sidner—who has spoken publicly about her own breast cancer experience—also reflected on Lewis’ personality, describing the mix of strength, humor, and stubbornness that shaped how she lived and how she handled illness.
The context that made the moment heavier
Part of what intensified the tribute is that CNN had previously featured Lewis in a candid discussion about breast cancer and treatment choices. Reporting on Lewis’ death and the subsequent CNN segment notes that doctors recommended aggressive conventional treatment options at earlier points, while Lewis pursued a different path and later spoke openly about the consequences and criticism surrounding those decisions.
Remembering Ananda Lewis beyond the final days
Lewis became a prominent media figure in the late 1990s through MTV and later hosted her own daytime talk show. After her death was confirmed publicly by her sister, coverage revisited Lewis’ broader impact—especially how she used her platform later in life to talk about health, autonomy, and what she wanted people to learn from her story.
