Danielle Spencer, Beloved ‘What’s Happening!!’ Star, Dies at 60 – Cause of Death Revealed

Danielle Spencer, best known for playing Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom “What’s Happening!!,” has died at the age of 60. Her publicist confirmed that she passed away on Monday at Chippenham Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, from gastric cancer and cardiac arrest. Family spokesperson Sandra Jones said she had been battling cancer for years.

Spencer’s role as Dee made her a fan favorite. On “What’s Happening!!,” she played the smart, witty, and sometimes bratty little sister, a character audiences loved. She also returned for the show’s spinoff, “What’s Happening Now!!,” in the 1980s.

Her life, though, was marked by serious challenges. In 1977, when she was just 12 years old and filming the first season of “What’s Happening!!,” Spencer was in a terrible car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California.

Her stepfather, Tim Pelt, was killed in the crash. She was in a coma for three weeks and suffered injuries that would lead to ongoing spinal and neurological problems for the rest of her life. She had to undergo several surgeries over the years because of it.

In 2018, she had emergency surgery to treat bleeding in her brain, which doctors linked to the injuries from that 1977 crash. Afterward, she could speak only a little and had to use crutches to walk. She had been dealing with symptoms from her accident for many years, including a period when she used a wheelchair and had to relearn how to walk.

Spencer also faced another health battle in 2014, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She decided to have a double mastectomy. Speaking that year for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she told Black America Web, “With everything that I’ve been through with the spinal cord injury, I said I know God is not going to give me another affliction, so I was completely shocked when the doctors told me.” She also said the disease ran in her family but added, “I have a lot of help and support around me.”

Despite her health struggles, Spencer achieved a longtime dream outside of acting. Encouraged by her stepfather, she went to college and eventually became a veterinarian in 1996 after studying at Tuskegee University’s Veterinary School. She loved animals and spent much of her adult life caring for them.

Her family and friends are remembering her not just for her acting but for her kindness, strength, and work helping animals. Nelson, a family representative, said, “We celebrate Danielle Spencer and her contributions as we regret to inform her departure and transition from a long battle with cancer. We have lost a daughter, sister, family member, ‘What’s Happening’ cast member, veterinarian, animal rights proponent and healer, and cancer heroine. Our Shero. Danielle is loved. She will be missed in this form and forever embraced.”

Danielle Spencer’s story is one of talent, perseverance, and heart. From making audiences laugh on television to healing animals in her veterinary practice, she left a lasting mark.

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