What's Happening!! actress Danielle Spencer who portrayed Dee overcame many struggles in her life

Danielle Spencer succumbed to cancer

The entertainment industry has lost another actress. Child star Danielle Spencer, who portrayed sassy Dee Thomas on the ABC sitcom "What’s Happening!!," from 1976-1979, has passed away at 60. Fox News Digital confirmed that Spencer died Monday in a hospital in Richmond, Virginia. Her cause of death was cancer.

Dee was the sassy younger sister of Roger "Raj" Thomas (Ernest Lee Thomas) and the daughter of Mabel Thomas, (Mabel King). She was best known for saying to Raj and his friends, "Ooooh, I’m gonna tell Mama!"

Although the actress did not have a lot of roles, her What's Happening!! character made a lasting impression on many generations. In my family my grandmother, mother and I enjoyed the show and my first born son watched reruns with his greatgrandmother.

Danielle Spencer's many challenges

Spencer dealt with several health challenges over the years. In 2004, she experienced balance issues, chronic pain and was diagnosed with spinal stenosis as a result of injuries from a 1977 car accident that killed her stepfather, Tim Pelt. Reportedly, Pelt died from injuries sustained while trying to save Danielle, who was in a coma for three weeks.

Spencer underwent surgery to correct her issues and was left partially paralyzed for eight months. Fans of the sitcom might recall Dee was not seen for a while and when she returned she wore a cast on her leg. A decade later she revealed the following in Jet Magazine.

“Ten years ago, I had surgery on my upper back that resulted in my being paralyzed from the waist down. After many years of rehabilitation at several places, I am still left with neurological damage to my spinal cord.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 and had a double mastectomy. In 2018, she underwent emergency surgery to relieve bleeding in her brain. Metal Floss revealed the folowing

In order to accommodate the actress on the set, she was allowed to remain seated during many of her scenes in order to avoid any physical exertion. Her hair was also styled in such a way to cover up visible damage that had been done to her forehead in the crash.

Additional achievements

Danielle was enrolled in college when she joined the cast of What's Happening Now in 1985. She became a Veterinarian after graduation and was a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. Her additional television acting credits include portraying a vendor on the soap Days of Our Lives and appearing in Special Treat and The Brady Bunch Hour.

Spencer portrayed a veterinaian in two films: As Good as It Gets (1997) and Peter Rabbit and the Crucifix in 2001. She tied with Alison Arngrim (Nelle Olsen-Little House on the Prairie) as the recipient for the "Character Most In Need Of A Time-Out" award on the 2006 TV Land Awards.

She was married to Garry Fields from 1999 until they divorced in 2013. She married David L. David ​in 2014, and it's believed they were no longer together at the time of her death.There is no record of the actress having children.

A fitting tribute to Danielle Spencer

Haywood Nelson, who portrayed Dwayne Clemens, on the hit series said the following about his co-star:

"She suffered for a very long time but did it with a great deal of courage,. "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.

The other What's Happening cast members who have passed away are Mabel King, Fred Berry (Freddie "Rerun" Stubbs) Thalmus Rasulala (Bill Thomas), Shirley Hemple (Shirley Wilson) and Earl Billings (Rob). You can watch episodes of the hit sitcom on Tubi TV and Amazon Prime.