Danielle Spencer, the child star best known for her starring role in the hit sitcom What’s Happening!!, has died at the age of 60.
The actress/veterinarian passed away on Monday (Aug. 11) in a Richmond, Virginia, hospital. The tragic news was confirmed by her former co-star, Haywood Nelson, the following day on Instagram. “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),” the 65-year-old wrote.
Born on June 24, 1965, and raised in The Bronx by her mother, Cheryl and stepfather, actor Tim Pelt, Spencer started acting at age 7. At age 11, she landed her breakout role as Dee Thomas, the witty, younger sister of Roger “Raj” Thomas (Ernest Thomas) and daughter of Mabel (Mabel King). She became a household name for her catch phrase, “Ooooh, I’m gonna tell Mama!”
Of the feat, she told Jet in 2014, “I had never seen any young Black girl in that type of spotlight, so I didn’t have a reference point in the media as to how to deal with this opportunity. I was from the Bronx. What I did was use my own family as the reference on how to portray my character.”
What’s Happening!!, which was loosely based on the 1975 film Cooley High, ran for three seasons from 1976 to 1979. The spinoff, What’s Happening Now!!, premiered in 1985 and also aired for three seasons.
