On Thursday’s CNN Information Central, co-anchor Sara Sidner and CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam shared an emotional on-air tribute to Lewis, who died on Wednesday at 52 following a years-long battle with breast most cancers, with Elam recalling her ultimate dialog along with her longtime good friend.

Earlier than Elam joined the published, Sidner turned choked up as she revealed the information of the passing of her “lovely good friend.” The journalist — who revealed her Stage 3 breast most cancers analysis in January 2024 — recalled getting collectively for a televised dialog about breast most cancers with Lewis and Elam in October 2024.

Sidner famous that whereas she had a double mastectomy, underwent rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, Lewis determined in opposition to conventional therapy, equivalent to eradicating her tumor and chemotherapy, and as a substitute selected to bear homeopathic therapy and treatments. After battling Stage 3 breast most cancers for years, in 2023, the illness progressed into Stage 4, or metastatic breast most cancers.

After Elam joined Sidner on-air on Thursday morning, she opened up about visiting Lewis earlier than she handed away.

Elam — who famous that she’s been protecting the Los Angeles ICE protests — obtained a “name” that Lewis was in her ultimate moments, breaking down as she emotionally recalled her ultimate dialog along with her shut good friend.

“So, I drove to be along with her and held her hand, and informed her how a lot I really like her,” a choked-up Elam mentioned, “Two-thirds of my life, she has been my experience or die. We’ve got been there, going via issues, we might textual content, and we’d message one another on a regular basis.”

She went on, saying that “one factor I need everybody to know is that she was at peace with this resolution. She had come to grips with it.”

“We thought we had weeks, and it turned out that it become days, after which it truly was only a matter of hours,” Elam mentioned. “It occurred in a short time how issues modified.”

Whereas the correspondent was in a position to see her longtime good friend earlier than her passing, she additionally obtained a ultimate textual content from Lewis, by which the Complete Request Dwell host mirrored on her most cancers journey, and mentioned goodbye to her “lifelong bestie of besties.”

Elam learn a part of the message, persevering with to carry again tears.

“She texted me and mentioned issues had taken a unique flip than she would have preferred,” Elam mentioned. “That is a part of the textual content that she despatched me: ‘ my emotions on this. All of us go. These our bodies are on mortgage and have to be returned. We are available in love and select to depart it with love as nicely.’ After which she goes on to say in one other a part of it, ‘I really like you, my great lifelong bestie of besties.’”

Elam then addressed Lewis’ resolution to forgo conventional most cancers therapy.

“I really like my lady, however she was hard-headed. She wished to do it her personal approach. Even supposing so many people near her wished her to attempt the best way that you just did it, proper,” she informed Sidner, who listened solemnly. “However that is what she wished to do, and he or she was completely at peace with it.”

On Wednesday, Lewis’ sister, Lakshmi Emory, introduced the information of her passing in a Fb submit. Emory informed TMZ Hip Hop that Lewis died on Wednesday morning in her Los Angeles dwelling.

Following the announcement of her passing, Elam posted a tribute on her Instagram, sharing a video complication of pictures of herself and Lewis through the years.

“Ananda Lewis 1973 – 2025 She was good vitality and pleasure. She was fiercely loyal and deeply loving. She was an superior mom, a devoted auntie to my daughter, a giving human and he or she was my greatest good friend for two-thirds of our lives,” she started in her caption. “We met on the very starting of freshman yr at our beloved @howard1867 Howard College. She was 18 and I used to be 17. Our bond was fast and simple. Two younger girls from California starting 4 years collectively in Washington DC. We have been so tight, we celebrated our commencement collectively at an Indian restaurant with each of our households.”

Elam went on to share that she and Lewis — who’s survived by her 14-year-old son — “have been there for one another within the huge moments and the quiet on a regular basis ones – the no make-up mommying days and our annual ‘framily’ traditions with our children – which we by no means missed.”

Elam concluded her tribute by noting that she’s “so glad she’s not in ache, however I am not fairly certain tips on how to life this life with out her.”

Sidner, in the meantime, additionally posted on her Instagram following Lewis’ passing, sharing a clip from her on-air tribute.

“Good bye you lovely soul. Thanks for sharing your pleasure with us. Thanks for sharing your complete true self with us,” she wrote in her submit’s caption. “Thanks for informing us and entertaining us. Thanks for sharing what occurred to you in order that we will all make the precise choices for ourselves. Thanks for all the time being the sunshine. RIP lovely good friend Ananda Lewis.”

“Thanks my pricey and heartbroken good friend @stephelamtv for bringing us collectively and @drelizabethcomen for giving such good recommendation,” she concluded.

Lewis revealed her Stage 3 breast most cancers analysis in October 2020, sharing an Instagram video on the time, by which she urged different girls to not skip their annual mammograms, admitting that she did for years.

“I’ve been preventing to get most cancers out of my physique for nearly two years,” she mentioned in her video. “For a very very long time, I’ve refused mammograms, and that was a mistake.”

Throughout an interview with ABC Information in October 2024, Lewis shared that her breast most cancers had progressed to Stage 4.