Danielle Spencer — forever remembered as wisecracking little sister “Dee Thomas” on ABC’s 1970s sitcom What’s Happening!! — has passed away at 60. According to TMZ, she died Monday night in a Richmond, Virginia hospital from complications related to cancer, with her mother, Cheryl, and her brother, jazz musician Jeremy Pelt, at her side.
TMZ

Her longtime friend and former co-star, Haywood Nelson (who played “Dwayne”), told TMZ he received the heartbreaking call while he was in Dallas. He said the two had spoken by phone just two weeks earlier and that she sounded upbeat. Nelson also shared a tribute on Instagram, reflecting that her fight had taken a heavy toll and that she had “finally found her release from the clutches of this world and a body.”

Spencer became a household name as part of the original What’s Happening!! cast, which ran from 1976 to 1979. She later reprised her beloved role in the ’80s sequel What’s Happening Now!! before stepping away from Hollywood in the 1990s to pursue a new calling as a veterinarian — a career path that earned her the affectionate nickname “Dr. Dee” among fans and friends.

Nelson added that Spencer had previously been involved in a car accident and was using a wheelchair in the period leading up to her passing. Despite the setbacks, he emphasized that he always saw her as a little sister; their final conversation, he said, captured her enduring positivity even while she faced mounting health challenges.

As news of her death spreads, tributes are highlighting the breadth of Spencer’s journey — from child star to healer — and the joy she brought to generations who grew up with What’s Happening!!. She is mourned by loved ones and by viewers who felt like they knew “Dee” personally. Danielle Spencer was 60. May this queen rest in eternal peace, after a job well done here on earth.

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When “What’s Happening” legend, Shirley Hemphill, passed away from kidney failure in 1999, not only did she leave a major impact on her millions of fans, she also left a major impact on the many celebrities she generously helped. One of those celebs is comedian/actress, Rosie O’Donnell. Rosie explained the beautiful things Shirley did for her when she was broke– or like the old schoolers used to say, ‘when she didn’t have a pot to pee in, nor a window to through it out of.’

Why Rosie O’Donnell Will Be Forever Grateful To Shirley

Rosie met Shirley after she became a household name on the ’70s sitcom, “What’s Happening.” Rosie said that Shirley Hemphill was the first celebrity she’d ever met. At that time, Rosie was a broke and struggling teen comedian, hoping she’d one day be able to reach the level of success Shirley had. Then Shirley did this:

Via Playbill: Her [Rosie O’Donnell’s] first big break came when she was a teenager. She would do stand-up in comedy clubs and get in using her neighbor’s fake ID. She actually was introduced as her neighbor for her first three times since that was the only ID she had! One night Shirley Hemphill saw Rosie do her set and told the shocked owner she wanted Rosie to be her opening act. Rosie was still incredibly green but Shirley wanted to support a new comic, especially a female, and told the owner not only would he have to use Rosie as her opener [each week], he would have to pay her! Rosie wound up making $25 for each gig which, for her, was an incredible amount of money.

Wait ‘Til You See What Happened Next Though…

That weekly $25 comedy gig, being the opening act for Shirley’s (who drew large crowds at the comedy club) stand-up shows, increased Rosie’s popularity and led to her being scouted by the national TV show, Talent Search, which which won for seven weeks straight. Rosie was eliminated in the semi-finals, but had garnered enough hype around her name to land her first TV gig on the ’80s sitcom, Gimme A Break, starring Nell Carter. After her appearance on Gimme A Break, Star Search called her back to the show. So that’s why Rosie is forever grateful to Shirley Hemphill, because she was first celebrity to take a chance on her out of the kindness of her heart. And Shirley’s kindness led to a domino effect of success for Rosie O’Donnell.

Rosie O’Donnell’s Touching Tribute After Shirley’s Passing

After Shirley passed away, Rosie gave an emotional tribute to her on her talk show, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” a few days later. As photos and a video clip of Shirley played behind her in a now deleted clip of her show, Rosie told her audience and millions of TV viewers this:

Via NYPost- “You know, when I started my career, the first famous person I met was Shirley Hemphill,” Rosie said on her show, just before showing Shirley in a clip from “What’s Happening!” Rosie told the story of how Shirley persuaded the owner of a comedy club to give Rosie, then 16, a shot at performing on an open-mike night. “It was my first paid gig,” Rosie said, “and it was because of her. … I loved her very much and she was a great lady.”

Many comedians have come forward throughout the years, with their own recollections of Shirley’s generosity toward them, including Martin Lawrence. Rest on Shirley, beautiful job done.

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Actor, Ernest Lee Thomas- or as we Old Schoolers like to call him- “Roger” (or “Raj'”) from “What’s Happening” recalled some very interesting facts about his years on the show that the public never knew. One of them included what drove actress, Mabel King (who played his Mom), to walk off the show during the height of it’s success…

For starters, we learned that Ernest is 72 years young! Can you believe that? It seems like just a few years ago he was the 19-year-old “Raj” getting ratted out to his Moms by his lil’ sister, “Dee.” Aside from that, he revealed some of the major tension that went down behind the scenes of “What’s Happening”.

Here’s Why Mabel King Quit “What’s Happening”

Prior to filming “What’s Happening,” when Ernest found out that the actress playing his mother (Mabel King) was none other than the “Wicked Witch of the West” from “The Wiz” movie, he was blown away:

“I went to see her on Broadway in The Wiz about 15 times,” says Thomas. “I loved that musical. Who knew that she’d end up playing my mother? I was in awe!” Source

Unfortunately their on-screen mother/son stint didn’t last very long. Ernest said that Mabel King was sick and tired of going at it with the show’s producers and writers over their refusal to take advantage of the show’s instant popularity to set better examples of strong Black families on television. She oftentimes instantaneously changed the script during filming and stated that the lack of positive Black roles was “one of the biggest tragedies on television.” She hated that her character remained a single Black mother who worked as a maid. Therefore, Mabel chose her personal integrity over money, by choosing to say ‘Peace out’ to the show and quit right after the first season was wrapped. “People have to do what they have to do at the moment,” said Ernest Thomas.

Mabel King Wanted To Remain Plus Sized For Her Career

The late Mabel King once said she always kept her weight up to 260 pounds and above during her stint on “What’s Happening,” to please the producers. She also once joked, in a late 70’s Jet Magazine interview, that if she was given a choice between food and sex, she’d choose food because she said “it would last longer and it would fill me up” she laughed.

Mabel King’s Tragic Life & Death

Throughout the 1980’s and ’90s, Ms. King suffered a stroke and had a long battle with diabetes, which eventually led to her having both legs and one arm amputated. After her long fought health battle, she passed away in November 1999.

Even though her health left her physically weak…mentally speaking, Mabel King was a very strong woman, who stood up for what she believed in. May she continue to rest peacefully.
Source

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All of us, Old Schoolers, remember how “Dee” brought us joy and laughter on “What’s Happening,” but actress, Danielle Spencer-David’s, real life brought her tremendous pain, struggles, and thankfully…strength. However, before her strength kicked in, Danielle almost committed suicide in more recent years and she painfully explained why.

As we’ve previously reported, Danielle has been through a LOT in her 57 years of life. She’s survived a deadly car accident in 1977 (at the height of her “What’s Happening” career) that killed the man who introduced her to acting- her stepfather, Tim Pelt. He died while shielding Danielle as a truck rammed into them on a highway; The accident left Danielle in a 6-month coma, partially paralyzed for a while, permanently stricken with spinal stenosis and forever dependent on crutches to walk. But decades later, there was a totally different pain that struck Danielle’s world…one that made her want to take her own life.

Why Danielle Spencer Contemplated Suicide

In an interview on “Oprah’s Where Are They Now,” Danielle became very emotional when recalling how in 2014, at age 49, she seriously contemplated suicide after getting a double mastectomy (both breasts removed) to eliminate breast cancer from her body and attempt to prevent it from further spreading. See what else Danielle tearfully explained in the video below…

Danielle Faced Another Major Health Issues In 2018

Danielle Spencer, who played the tattletale little sister Dee Thomas on the 1970s TV series “What’s Happening!!,” is home in Virginia recuperating from emergency brain surgery after a series of health setbacks. https://t.co/GWnWk1h5e3

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 12, 2018

By 2018, Danielle experienced another traumatic health setback. She had to undergo emergency brain surgery, to remove a bleeding hematoma from her brain. According to her friends, Danielle was rushed to the hospital on the 42nd anniversary of her childhood car accident. Danielle’s doctors believe the bleeding hematoma was another side effect from the same car accident Danielle had endured as a child.

At the time of her surgery, Danielle’s friends started a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Danielle’s recovery.

Ever since 2018, Danielle Spencer has seemingly stayed out of the public eye and her Instagram page has been inactive. Her husband, David L. David, has presumably been taking good care of her. We sincerely hope Danielle’s thriving and doing well these days. Wishing that queen all the best…she is a TRUE warrior. 🙏🏾

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There’s one thing we’ve learned, here at ILOSM- that many celebs from back in the day, are probably glad there was no internet, camera phones, nor social media during their heyday. Why? Because those little known facts about their lives wouldn’t be so little anymore. In some cases, however, it’s the actual celebrity who decides to drop major bombshells on all of us, decades later.

That was the case for Haywood Nelson a.k.a. “Dwayne” from “What’s Happening”…and what he revealed will probably make you say, ‘Say what now?!!’…just as it did us.

Who Haywood Had Serious Crush On During “What’s Happening”

In a prior interview with Essence, Haywood (62) revealed he had a serious crush on his co-star, Daniel Spencer (57), who played the role of “Dee” on “What’s Happening.” There was just one major detail that kept him from pursuing her though:

Haywood Nelson: “I had a big crush on Dee. She is the bomb and if it weren’t for our age difference it would be very dangerous and tempting waters. Dee was sharp and was a smart young girl. She could tell adults off and get away with it.”

But WAIT…there’s more. Daniel was not the only co-star Haywood was crushin’ on…there was another “crush” who was 13 years older than he was at that time:

HN: “I also had a crush on Shirley. I love her wit. I love people who are fearless and I’m a spiritual guy so I connect with people spiritually.”

Yep, you read that correctly.

The Actress Haywood Dated & Wanted To Marry

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Following his “Shirley” and “Dee” revelations, Haywood then revealed that he was in a serious relationship with actress, Debbi Morgan (65), who’s best known for her roles on “All My Children” and the film, “Eve’s Bayou.”

HN:”Now, Debbie Morgan, who appeared on the show, and I used to date. It was my fault, I blew it. It didn’t work out because I was too young, with a Porsche and was interested in driving around and taking road trips with my boys when she wanted time. If I had my head on right I would have married her.”

He’s Now Married To Royalty

Although it took decades for Haywood Nelson to finally reveal his past love interests, these days the brotha is happily married to a member of the Royal family of Saudi Arabia and Dubai. His wife, Khnadya Skye, is Arabic Egyptian, and she’s also listed his attorney on several sites. They married in 2014 and ever since then, Haywood and his bride have pretty much flown under the radar. That is reportedly due to the fact that she is royalty and her family likes to keep low profiles. That’s also probably why there are no photos of the two lovebirds floating around on the internet and beyond.

What He’s Doing Now

These days, it’s being reported that Haywood Nelson is working as one of the main point advisors for his wife’s Oil/Petroleum Technology Corporation, SKYEWOOD. So…wait a minute, his wife is in oil industry?!! Cha-ching!

Prior to that, Haywood built a career behind the camera, on TV shows and talk shows. He also entered the tech industry and became a prominent figure in tech start-up companies that have seen great success. Do your thang Haywood, we see you!

Source

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Geesh! We never knew there was drama going on behind the scenes of the TV show, “What’s Happening.” Ernest Lee Thomas a.k.a. “Raj” said that to this very day, some people are still mad at him for attending “Rerun’s” funeral because back in the day “Rerun” caused their careers to take extreme blows.

The three main guys on the show were really great friends off the set. We’re talking about Thomas who played “Raj,” Haywood Nelson (“Dwayne”) and Berry (“Rerun”), but according to those behind the scenes, they, along with Daniel Spencer (“Dee”) and Mabel King (“Mama”),  had to deal with our beloved Rerun’s antics over and over again. Turns out things got kind of ugly. Scroll down to see why Raj said folks are mad that he went to Rerun’s funeral…

The Tension That Led To Anger Up Until Rerun’s Death

The 1976 TV show was an unexpected hit. That’s when Fred Berry felt it was time to hit the jackpot and renegotiate his salary. “He could be trouble,” director Alan Rafkin said in his book, “Cue the Bunny.” Berry somehow found out that the network paid him $5000 per episode, while paying the Caucasian actors on there $8000 per episode. The director recounts that fact as well.

“Rerun” convinced “Raj” to join him in a walkout in order to negotiate higher salaries. The network gave them a little raise and the guys became one big happy family again…but not for long. Some time around the third season, the guys pulled another stunt of demands and the network pulled their own stunt and cancelled the series. Here’s how it went down according to the director:

“Eventually, the producers simply had enough of the boys’ antics and they closed the series down.”

But Ernest (“Raj”) had a different take:

“There’s a mystery over that… I remember distinctly that they had a meeting and wanted the entire cast to meet with all of the producers. And they said, ‘Fred Berry tells us that you think we’re racist. So we don’t want you working for racists and we’re going to cancel the show.’ That’s what I remember… Fred was very happy, even at that meeting. He didn’t take it back and say, ‘No, they really didn’t say it, I was the one who said it.’ He said, ‘No, you know you all said it!’ So they thought he really was telling the truth.”

The show’s final episode (in its original form) ran on April 28, 1979, but after the success of the Cosby Show in ’84, networks came a calling again for sitcom with Black stars and revived the show to call it What’s Happening Now and you guessed it, Fred Berry did it a third time.

Ernest On Rerun Apologizing Years Later…

“Fred did apologize for all of that stuff toward the end of his life. Even when he passed away, people didn’t want me to go to the funeral. There are people who are still upset with me for going to his funeral. But to me, there’s a thing called forgiveness. When someone asks you for forgiveness, there’s no reason to keep something going. I went to the funeral because he expressed that he was sorry.”

This is proof that mistakes, bad decisions and bitterness can last a lifetime and there is no time limit on forgiveness. That’s just the way it is.

Unfortunately, our beloved Rerun’s actions costs others’ their livelihood at the time, causing their careers to take extreme blows. So it’s understandable why it was so difficult for them to forgive him. On the flip side, the truth is that none of us are perfect, so it’s great that Rerun and Ernest were able to squash their beef before his untimely death. And maybe, just maybe, “Roger” kinda felt a little the same as “Rerun.” After all, he did go along with the walk-out on the other two occasions.

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