CNN Correspondent Stephanie Elam Breaks Down While Sharing Final Text From Late TV Personality Ananda Lewis

CNN Correspondent Stephanie Elam Breaks Down While Sharing Final Text From Late TV Personality Ananda Lewis

The grief is still fresh for those closest to #AnandaLewis.

 

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On Thursday (June 12), #StephanieElam joined fellow #CNN correspondent #SaraSidner on-air to remember their dear friend following her passing. Lewis died on June 11 at age 52 after living with stage four breast cancer for years.

“She had come to grips with it,” Elam said, explaining that Lewis was at peace with her decision to treat her cancer holistically rather than undergo surgery and chemotherapy.

She continued,

“When she texted me, we thought we had weeks. But it turned into days, and then it was just a matter of hours.”

Fighting back tears, Elam read a portion of Lewis’ final text:

“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… I love you my wonderful lifelong bestie of besties.”

Elam added,

“I love my girl, but she was hard-headed. She wanted to do it her own way.”

Lewis rose to fame in the late ’90s as an MTV VJ, later hosting The Ananda Lewis Show. She is survived by her son.