Danielle Spencer, 'What’s Happening!!' star, has died
The actor was best known for her role as Raj’s younger sister, Deadra “Dee” Thomas, on the hit 1970s TV series "What's Happening!!"
Danielle Spencer, best known for her role as Roger “Raj” Thomas’ younger sister, Deadra “Dee” Thomas, on the hit 1970s TV series "What's Happening!!,” has died. She was 60.
Haywood Nelson, who co-starred as the memorable Dwayne Nelson on the show, announced her death in a post on social media. She died following complications with cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Dr. Dee, our brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior, without fail, has finally found her release from the clutches of this world and a body,” Nelson wrote. “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,” he continued. “Our Shero. Danielle is loved. She will be missed in this form and forever embraced.”
“What's Happening!!” appeared on ABC for three seasons, from 1976 to 1979, and focused on the lives of Roger “Raj” Thomas (Ernest Thomas), Dwayne (Nelson) and Freddy "Rerun" Stubbs (Fred Berry) in southern Los Angeles. Spencer played Raj’s bratty little sister, and fans became familiar with her catchphrase: ““Ooooo, I’m gonna tell Mama!”
After the show’s end, Spencer returned to the small screen with her co-stars for “What’s Happening Now!!,” a spinoff series that ran from 1985 to 1988.
Spencer always had a passion for animal care. “I’ve always had a knack for caring for animals and I’ve always been interested in chemistry, bacteriology and about the body,” she told the New York Amsterdam News in a 1985 interview during her collegiate years. She would later become a veterinarian, earning her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tuskegee University.
She is survived by her mother and brother.
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