Danielle Spencer, a famous actress known for her role as Dee Thomas in the television series What’s Happening!!, passed away after a long battle with illness. The news was announced by her co-star Haywood Nelson, who shared the information about her death through his official Instagram account. Here is what we know.
How did Danielle Spencer die?
So far, the official cause of death has not been revealed; however, Haywood Nelson mentioned in his post that the actress had fought cancer for several years, so her passing may have been due to this disease.
Spencer was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 and, in 2018, underwent emergency surgery due to a brain hemorrhage. She died on Monday, August 11. Haywood described her as a veterinarian, animal rights advocate, healer, and cancer hero.
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“Dr. Dee, our brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior, without fail, has finally found her release from the clutches of this world and a body. We celebrate Danielle Spencer and her contributions as we regret to inform her departure and transition from a long battle with cancer,” the post reads.
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How old was Danielle Spencer?
At the time of her death, the actress was 60 years old.
What was Danielle Spencer’s net worth?
Danielle Spencer’s net worth is estimated at $1 million. She built her fortune through decades of work as an actress, as well as her career as a veterinarian.
Who was Danielle Spencer?
Danielle Spencer was born on June 24, 1965, in Trenton, New Jersey. Daughter of writer Cheryl Pelt, she lost her biological father at a young age and considered Tim Pelt, her mother’s second husband, as her father figure. The family moved to the Bronx, New York, where Danielle began taking acting classes at age eight.
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In 1976, she landed the role of Dee Thomas, the younger sister on the series What’s Happening!!, inspired by the film Cooley High. The show was successful, but in 1977, during filming, Danielle and her stepfather suffered a serious car accident. Tim Pelt died protecting her, and Danielle was in a coma for three weeks, with no memory of the crash. She spent six months recovering.
After the show was canceled in 1979, Danielle and her mother lived for a time in Ivory Coast. Returning to the U.S., Spencer studied veterinary medicine at the University of California-Davis, encouraged by her stepfather. Meanwhile, she appeared in the sequel What’s Happening Now!!, acting in several episodes. She also joined the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and got engaged.
After the sequel ended in 1988, Spencer completed her veterinary studies at Tuskegee University, graduating in 1996. She made occasional film appearances, including as a veterinarian in As Good as It Gets (1997).
In 2006, the cast of What’s Happening!! was honored at the TV Land Awards, where Danielle received a special award. Later, she published her autobiography Through the Fire: Journal of a Child Star, which renewed interest in her story.
She married Garry Fields in 1999 and divorced in 2013. In 2014, she married David L. David. In 2004, she was diagnosed with spinal stenosis caused by the 1977 accident. Surgery left her partially paralyzed, but she recovered thanks to treatment at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.
She worked as a veterinarian in California before moving to Richmond, Virginia, where she also hosted pet care segments. In 2014, she was included in the permanent exhibition of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and launched her fashion line “Dani Collection.”
