Who was Ananda Lewis married to? Will Smith connection and all about her husband and kids as former MTV VJ passes away at 52

MTV VJ Ananda Lewis, who died on June 11 at the age of 52, was married to Harry Smith, the owner and CEO of Smith Global Media. Ananda also had a familial connection with Will Smith, not by blood but by marriage. Ananda's husband, Harry, is Will's younger brother. Harry and the former video jockey have a son, Langston.

Her sister, Lakshmi Emory, announced the news of her death through a Facebook tribute:

"She's free, and in His heavenly arms. Lord, rest her soul"

Lakshmi told CNN that Ananda had been battling stage 4 breast cancer for six years since her diagnosis in 2020. She was receiving hospice care at her home in Los Angeles at the time of her death Wednesday morning.

According to CNN, Ananda found out she had stage 3 breast cancer in her lymph nodes in 2020 after a self-examination and thermography. In an Instagram post shared in October 2020, Amanda informed her fans and followers about her diagnosis. She expressed her apologies to her friends and family before making the announcement.

At that time, Ananda Lewis told everyone she had been trying to get rid of the cancer for two years. She had tried natural and alternative treatments to get rid of her cancer. The late VJ said she had refused to get a mammogram — an X-ray imaging of her breasts. Ananda acknowledged that this had been a mistake on her part.

Ananda said she eventually had to undergo two PET scans that were worth 60 rounds of mammograms, adding that she would have detected the tumors in her breast earlier had she agreed to the X-ray imaging. Ananda admitted the treatment would have been easier as well.

After sharing her diagnosis, Ananda urged everyone to get their mammograms. She told her followers:

"Early detection, especially for breast cancer, changes your outcome."

Ananda spoke tearfully about her son, Langston, who was 9 years old at the time. She said she did not intend to leave any of her kids on their own.

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All we know about Ananda Lewis' husband, Harry Smith, and their children

The circumstances surrounding the meeting and marriage of Ananda Lewis and Harry Smith remain unknown. Ananda gave birth to their son, Langston, in 2011. According to Ananda's sister, Lakshmi, in a statement to the media, Langston, 14, had his middle school graduation on the same day as his mother's death.

Will Smith's brother, Harry, and his twin sister, Ellen, 54, are the youngest of the Smith siblings. They all have an older sister, Pamela. The siblings have reportedly always shared a close bond.

According to LinkedIn, Harry attended Hampton University from 1989 to 1993, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. His company, Smith Global Media, specializes in film distribution. Before its launch, Harry also worked in real estate and business development.

Harry was reportedly responsible for managing his brother Will Smith's finances for a while in the 1990s and also worked for the actor's production company, Overbrook Entertainment.

Before marrying Ananda Lewis, Harry Smith was married to Melissa Montoya, with whom he welcomed a daughter, Sydney Taylor Smith, in 1999.

Both of Harry's children, Sydney and Langston, seem to share a close bond. They frequently appear in Harry's social media posts. Harry Smith has not issued a statement following Ananda Lewis' death. However, netizens have sent their condolences through comments on his recent Instagram posts.