Danielle Spencer’s mother, Cheryl Pelt, revealed that her daughter was hospitalized practically two weeks earlier than her demise.
Pelt advised TMZ on Wednesday, August 13, that the What’s Taking place!! star was admitted to the hospital on August 1 “after a urinary tract an infection turned septic.” The publication reported that Spencer was additionally affected by pneumonia in each lungs. The late actress was being fed and medicated via tubes throughout her ultimate days.
Information broke on Tuesday, August 12, that Spencer had died at age 60 at some point prior, following a years-long battle with most cancers.
Pelt’s interview with TMZ revealed that Spencer was “speaking and alert” whereas household was visiting her within the hospital this previous weekend. Spencer skilled a “code blue,” in line with her mother, and was transferred to the ICU. Pelt mentioned that Spencer died of cardiac arrest and gastric most cancers.
Spencer was identified for her position as Dee Thomas within the ABC comedy What’s Taking place!!, which aired from 1976 to 1979. The actress reprised her position for the spinoff sequence, What’s Taking place Now!!, which aired from 1985 to 1988.
Whereas Spencer had a couple of extra appearing roles over time, she ultimately retired from the highlight and have become a veterinarian.
“Brilliance! It is available in an incredible many kinds. All of us have them and all of us have this household’s — Dr. Danielle Spencer (June 24, 1965 – August 11, 2025),” Spencer’s former costar, Haywood Nelson, shared in an Instagram tribute on Tuesday. “Dr. Dee, our good, loving, constructive, pragmatic warrior, with out fail, has lastly discovered her launch from the clutches of this world and a physique.”
He added, “We’ve got misplaced a daughter, sister, member of the family, What’s Taking place solid member, veterinarian animal rights proponent and healer, and most cancers heroine.”
Spencer went public along with her breast most cancers analysis in 2014, years after a separate well being battle. In 1977, Spencer was in a automobile accident that killed her stepfather. She briefly skilled paralysis as a result of spinal stenosis following the accident.
“With every part that I’ve been via with the spinal twine harm, I mentioned I do know God shouldn’t be going to offer me one other affliction,” Spencer shared in an interview following her most cancers analysis. “So, I used to be fully shocked when the medical doctors advised me.”
Spencer mentioned that she had “quite a lot of assist and help round me” throughout the identical interview and shared that her course of remedy was surgical procedure.
“I’m making an attempt to get as many opinions as attainable, but it surely does seem like that’s what I’m going to do,” she added. “Hopefully after that there gained’t be any chemotherapy or radiation concerned.”
Previous to her demise, Spencer was married to advertising supervisor Garry Fields from 1999 to 2013. Spencer married entrepreneur David L. David in 2014.
