Actress Danielle Spencer, best known for her role as Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom What’s Happening!!, has died, per The Hollywood Reporter. She was 60.
On Monday (August 11), Spencer died in a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, her co-star Haywood Nelson confirmed.
“She suffered for a very long time but did it with a great deal of courage,” Nelson said.
Spencer became a rising star in Hollywood at age 11, starring as Dee on What’s Happening!!, which aired from 1976 to 1979. The actress became a beloved figure on the show for her one-liners and iconic catchphrase “Ooooh, I’m gonna tell Mama!” Spencer reprised the role in the 1985 sequel series What’s Happening Now!!, which ran for three seasons.
In 1977, Spencer survived a serious car crash that killed her stepfather and left her hospitalized for weeks. She later endured spinal issues and breast cancer, undergoing a double mastectomy in 2014 and brain surgery in 2018.
The child star went on to become a veterinarian, earning a degree from Tuskegee University in 1993. Spencer practiced for decades in Los Angeles and Richmond, where she also hosted a pet care segment on local TV.
“She had a great love of animals, she was like Betty White in that way,” Nelson said.
Spencer was inducted into the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2014. She also published a memoir, Through the Fire … Journal of a Child Star, reflecting on her career, tragedy, and resilience.
Spencer is survived by her mother, Cheryl, and her brother, Jeremy.
Rest in peace, Danielle Spencer.
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