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Danielle Spencer dies: Here's all about What’s Happening!! star's net worth and family
Danielle Spencer passed away on Monday in Richmond, Virginia. She is survived by her mother as well as her brother, Jeremy.
Danielle Spencer, best known for essaying the character of Dee Thomas in the 1970s ABC sitcom What’s Happening!!, died at the age of 60 on Monday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her former co-star Haywood Nelson shared that Spencer passed away in Virginia's Richmond.
Spencer underwent a double mastectomy more than a decade ago after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Also, another surgery was carried out in 2018 to relieve bleeding in her brain.
Nelson said Spencer "suffered for a very long time but did it with a great deal of courage”.
Who was Danielle Spencer?
Born on June 24, 1965, Spencer was raised by her mother, a French teacher, in New York City. Her stepfather was actor Tim Pelt.
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Spencer got a major chance to begin acting at the age of 7 in a repertory company, which was co-founded by Pelt.
After playing small parts in movies like Serpico and Harry and Tonto, Spencer got her first major breakthrough with What’s Happening!! at the age of 11. She essayed the role of sassy and sarcastic Dee Thomas, the younger sister of Roger 'Raj' Thomas (Ernest Thomas). Later on, she became popular, especially for her catch phrase, “Oooh, I’m gonna tell Mama!”
The show was highly successful and Spencer went on to reprise her role in the sequel, What’s Happening Now!, which came out in 1985 and ran for three seasons.
Spencer got involved in a major car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu in September 1977. Tim Pelt was killed in the incident, while she spent several weeks in intensive care. The duo had stepped outside to watch Star Wars the previous evening.
In her memoir, Through the Fire … Journal of a Child Star, which came out in 2010, Spencer shared that she did not even get the opportunity to say goodbye to her stepfather, whom she loved. He taught her "show business as a young child in New York,” Spencer stated.
Spencer later moved to the Ivory Coast and earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1993. James L. Brooks even hired her to play a part in the 1997 movie, As Good as It Gets.
Apart from her mother, Cheryl, Spencer is survived by her brother, Jeremy, who is a jazz musician.
Also Read: Danielle Spencer passes away at 60: How did Sassy Young Star of What’s Happening die?
Danielle Spencer Net worth
As per Celebrity Net Worth, Spencer had total earnings of $1 million, which included her acting career as well as her work as a veterinarian for nearly 20 years in Los Angeles.
FAQs
What happened to Danielle Spencer?
She underwent an emergency brain surgery in 2018 to remove a bleeding hematoma, which was left undiscovered after the 1976 car accident.
Is Danielle Spencer dead?
She passed away on Monday in Virginia's Richmond.
What is Danielle Spencer famous for?
She played Dee Thomas in the 1970s sitcom What’s Happening!!
