08/13/2025
Danielle Spencer, 'What's Happening!!' actress, dead at 60
Spencer battled breast cancer and underwent brain surgery before her death in Richmond hospital
By Christina Dugan Ramirez Fox News
Published August 12, 2025 3:55pm EDT
Danielle Spencer, who played Dee Thomas on the 1970s ABC sitcom "What’s Happening!!," has died. She was 60.
Spencer died Monday in a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, Fox News Digital has confirmed.
She was reportedly diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy in 2014, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In 2018, Spencer underwent emergency surgery to relieve bleeding in her brain.
Danielle Spencer
Danielle Spencer, 'What's Happening!!' star, has died. She was 60. (Getty Images)
A GoFundMe page was set up to help her pay for her medical expenses at the time.
"She suffered for a very long time but did it with a great deal of courage," her co-star Haywood Nelson told the outlet.
On Tuesday, Nelson took to social media to share the news.
"Brilliance! It comes in a great many forms. We all have them and we all have this family’s - Dr. Danielle Spencer (June 24, 1965 - August 11, 2025)," he captioned a post on Instagram