Ananda Lewis Was 'Black Barbara Walters,' Says Fellow MTV VJ Bill Bellamy
Bill Bellamy Ananda Lewis Was 'Black Barbara Walters' ... MTV VJ Could Talk to Anyone
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Ananda Lewis left her mark on the entertainment world in her short time on Earth ... a feat Bill Bellamy says he's fortunate to have witnessed in person!!!
TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the tenured comedian on Thursday, just as the reality of Ananda's death after a lengthy breast cancer battle had set in.
Ananda passed away yesterday and Bill says he always referred to Ananda as his "little sister," but certified she had a big aura.
He even notes how they started as rivals ... Bill was a rockstar MTV host at the same time Ananda's career skyrocketed at BET as the host of "Teen Summit."
Once Ananda joined MTV in the late '90s, Bill says they were an unstoppable force regarding the network's African-American coverage, interviewing the blossoming careers of the likes of Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z and even politicians -- Bill says Ananda was like the "Black Barbara Walters" when it came to the interviews!!!
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Bill tells us they still kept tabs on one another and he learned of Ananda's cancer diagnosis several years ago ... but he was under the impression that she'd beat it.
He plans on attending the memorial ... Ananda's sister tells TMZ Hip Hop they're anticipating a star-studded gathering of mourners, and Bill's predicting a bittersweet reunion with the ol' MTV gang.
