Dr. Dee’s Final Curtain: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of What’s Happening!! Star Danielle Spencer

Los Angeles / Richmond — Danielle Spencer, forever etched in TV history as the wise-cracking Dee Thomas from ABC’s What’s Happening!!, passed away on August 11, 2025, at 60 after a long battle with cancer. Spencer endured a lifetime of hardship—and turning points. In 1977, during production of What’s Happening!!, she survived a tragic car crash that claimed her stepfather and left her in a coma. But Spencer’s spirit was unbroken. Her sharp wit and iconic catchphrase, “Ooooh, I’m gonna tell Mama!” made her a standout character in a groundbreaking show that highlighted teens in Watts. Beyond acting, she forged a new path in veterinary medicine—studying at UC Davis and earning her doctorate from Tuskegee University. She devoted her second career to animal welfare, gaining recognition including an induction into the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Her life was riddled with health challenges: spinal injuries, breast cancer, and emergency brain surgery. Yet through it all, she was described by her co-star Haywood Nelson as “a brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior.” Spencer's story reminds us that legacy isn't always defined by fame—sometimes it's created through overcoming adversity and dedicating oneself to healing, whether through laughter or compassion for animals.