What's Happening's Danielle Spencer  dies at 60

Early Life and Breakthrough as “Dee Thomas”

Danielle Louise Spencer was born on June 24, 1965, in Trenton, New Jersey. Her mother, Cheryl Pelt, raised her in the Bronx, and Danielle considered her stepfather, Tim Pelt, as her real dad. 

She started acting at 9 years-old and landed her first credited role as Dee Thomas on What’s Happening!! (1976–1979), a sitcom that portrayed Black teenagers in Los Angeles with warmth and humor. Her sharp delivery and "Ooo-oh, I’m gonna tell Mama!" catchphrase became instantly memorable.

Trauma and Resilience

During the second season of What's Happening,  Spencer was in a devastating car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. She was in a coma for three weeks and sustained serious physical injuries; her stepfather, Tim Pelt, died protecting her.  The accident led to chronic spinal and neurological issues. In 2004, she was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, which left her partially paralyzed for eight months after surgery. In 2018, she needed emergency brain surgery to relieve bleeding from an old injury.

Education and Veterinary Career

Despite her hardships, Danielle didn’t back down. After the sitcom ended, she and her mother moved to the Ivory Coast for a while. She returned to the U.S. and earned her bachelor’s degree in marine biology (UCLA) and later studied veterinary medicine at UC Davis and Tuskegee University, receiving her DVM in 1993 

She became a practicing veterinarian in 1996, working first in California and later moving to Richmond, Virginia, in 2014, where she also hosted pet-care segments on TV. That same year, she became the first former child actor to be honored in a permanent exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Later Acting

Danielle occasionally returned to acting—most notably playing a veterinarian in the 1997 film As Good as It Gets, tying her two worlds together in a fitting way 

Health Battles and Final Years

In 2014, Danielle received a breast cancer diagnosis and underwent a double mastectomy; the cancer would later return. She continued to face health challenges with courage, as noted by Haywood Nelson, her What’s Happening!! co-star, who called her “a brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior” 

Danielle Spencer passed away on 11 August 2025, at Chippenham Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, at the age of 60. She was surrounded by her family; her mother Cheryl and brother Jeremy Pelt, a musician 

Legacy

Danielle Spencer’s life was a balance of brilliance and resilience. After a childhood in the spotlight was marred by tragedy, she carved out a vocation as a veterinarian, becoming a healer, not just to animals, but to many who admired her spirit. Her legacy crosses both Hollywood and veterinary medicine, leaving an imprint of strength and compassion.