Danielle Spencer, the former child star who played the sharp-tongued younger sister Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom “What’s Happening!!,” died on August 11 at age 60 following a prolonged battle with cancer. Her death was confirmed by former co-star Haywood Nelson through an Instagram post on Monday.
Spencer passed away from gastric cancer and cardiac arrest, according to family spokesperson Sandra Jones. The actress had been living with her mother in the Richmond, Virginia area at the time of her death.
Nelson, who portrayed Dwayne on the ABC sitcom, described Spencer as a brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior who had finally found her release. He indicated that they had lost a daughter, sister, family member, cast member, veterinarian, animal rights proponent and healer.
Spencer’s brother, jazz trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, shared a tribute on Instagram expressing his grief over losing his sister and protector. He noted that while many knew her as Dee, she was more than a child actress, serving as a friend, aunt to his three children, daughter, veterinarian, and someone who remained positive during her darkest days fighting the disease.
“We have lost a daughter, sister, family member,” Nelson stated in his social media tribute, emphasizing her multiple roles as cast member, veterinarian and cancer warrior.
The actress starred in 65 episodes of “What’s Happening!!” from 1976 to 1979, portraying the precocious younger sister known for her deadpan delivery and signature catchphrase “Ooh, I’m gonna tell mama!” The show, set in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts, was among the first television programs to focus on the lives of Black teenagers and was based on the 1975 film “Cooley High.”
Spencer later reprised her role in 16 episodes of the sequel series “What’s Happening Now!!” which aired from 1985 to 1988. Her final acting appearance was a minor role on the daytime drama “Days of Our Lives” in 2001.
During the show’s production in 1977, Spencer survived a devastating car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, that killed her stepfather and manager Tim Pelt. The crash left the then-12-year-old actress in a coma for three weeks with broken bones in her leg, arm and pelvis. This accident would have lasting health consequences throughout her life.
Spencer faced multiple health challenges stemming from the 1977 accident. In 2004, she was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, which caused temporary paralysis and required her to use a wheelchair while relearning to walk. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 and underwent a double mastectomy.
In 2018, exactly 42 years after her original accident, Spencer underwent emergency surgery for a bleeding hematoma that formed as a result of the 1977 crash. The procedure left her with limited speech and requiring crutches to walk, according to a GoFundMe page created for her medical expenses.
After her acting career ended, Spencer pursued higher education, attending the University of California, Davis, and UCLA before earning her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tuskegee University in 1993. She practiced veterinary medicine in the Los Angeles area before relocating to Virginia, where she became a regular contributor to CBS affiliate WTVR’s morning news programming, sharing her expertise on pet care.
In 2014, Spencer achieved a historic milestone when she became the first child star inducted into the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Her work as Dee Thomas became part of the museum’s permanent exhibition, which she described as something people could view for years to come, long after she was gone.
Spencer reflected on her career transition in a 2016 interview with a local Richmond television station, expressing disbelief that the show was still remembered 40 years later and that it would be featured alongside other trailblazing programs. She credited her late stepfather with bringing her into acting, recalling how she received the life-changing phone call at age nine that she had won the role of Dee.
Spencer is survived by her mother, Cheryl Pelt, and her younger brother Jeremy Pelt. In a Facebook statement released Tuesday, the family remembered her for her compassion, dedication, courage and grace that inspired all who knew her, requesting privacy while thanking fans for their support.
