Danielle Spencer, the beloved 1970s child star, has died after a long battle with cancer. She was 60.
The Bronx native was best known for her role as Dee Thomas on the black sitcom What's Happening!, which aired on ABC from 1976 to 1979.
According to Spencer's publicist, Sandra Jones, the cause of death was stomach cancer and cardiac arrest.
"This untimely death is really hard to process right now," Jones told ABC News. "She is a sweet and gentle soul and she is going to be missed very, very much."
In the late 70s, Spencer appeared in 65 episodes of What's Happening!, which follows three teenage boys growing up in the inner city of Los Angeles. Spencer played Dee, the sassy little sister of Raj Thomas (Ernest Thomas).
She was known for reciting the line "Ooh, I'm gonna tell Mama!", which fans would repeat to her years later. Spencer also appeared in 16 episodes of the show's sequel, What's Happening Now!!
When she was just 12 years old, Spencer survived a deadly car crash that killed her stepfather and manager, Tim Pelt, whom she would later credit with helping her start in show business.
Spencer was left in a coma with a broken leg, arm, and pelvis, and the tragedy continued to impact her health years later. She was diagnosed in 2004 with spinal stenosis, which nearly paralyzed her, and she underwent emergency brain surgery in 2018 to treat a bleeding hematoma.
On top of these health challenges, Spencer was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, which led to a double mastectomy.
After her star turn as Dee Thomas, Spencer became a veterinarian, receiving her doctorate in veterinarian science at Tuskegee University. She appeared as a vet in the movie As Good As It Gets, starring Jack Nicholson.
Spencer continued to be recognized for her work on What's Happening!, receiving a special honor from the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2016.
"I seriously can't even digest it," Spencer said. "I mean, first of all, that the show is remembered from 40 years [ago], but then also to be featured in this museum along with other shows that have been trailblazers."
She is survived by her mother, Cheryl Pelt, and younger brother Jeremy, a jazz musician, who shared a touching tribute on Instagram.
"Many of you knew her as 'Dee,' but she was more than a child actress," he wrote. "She was a friend, an auntie to my three children who adored her, she was a daughter- and in many ways, my mother's best friend, she was a veterinarian, she was someone who always remained positive even during her darkest days fighting this disease," he continued. "And she was MY sister and protector."
