‘What’s Happening!!’ Actress Danielle Spencer Dies At 60
Danielle Spencer, best known as Dee Thomas on ‘What’s Happening!!,’ has died at 60 after a long-term battle with cancer, her family confirmed. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1965, Spencer began acting young after moving to New York. At 11, she was cast on ‘What’s Happening!!.’ As Dee, Spencer played the smart, sarcastic little sister known for her catchphrase, “Ooh, I’m gonna tell mama,†and her deadpan comebacks. The show, set in LA’s Watts neighborhood, aired from 1976 to 1979 and was among the first to center on Black teenagers’ lives. In 1977, Spencer survived a major car crash that killed her stepfather. She was in a coma for three weeks and suffered lifelong complications. She reprised her role in the 1980s reboot ‘What’s Happening Now!!,’ which aired for three seasons. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, Spencer underwent a double mastectomy and continued facing health challenges tied to her earlier crash, including mobility issues. That same year, she was inducted into the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.
As featured on
Danielle Spencer, who played the wisecracking and tattling little sister Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom "What's Happening!!" has died at 60.
