‘What’s Happening!!’ Star Dies at 60 originally appeared on Parade.
Danielle Spencer, who played the sassy and sarcastic Dee Thomas on the 1970s ABC sitcom What’s Happening!!, has died at the age of 60, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
The former actress died on Monday, August 11, in Richmond, Virginia, according to her co-star Haywood Nelson.
No official cause of death has been released, but her family set up a GoFundMe page after she experienced a brain bleed that formed after her devastating car accident in 1977 during What’s Happening!!’s second season that left her stepfather Tim Pelt dead and left Spencer in a coma for several weeks. At the time, she underwent six months of physical therapy after the crash that left her with a broken arm, leg and pelvis.
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“Danielle is overwhelmed by all of the love and support she has received from her family, friends and media outlets. She greatly appreciates the What’s Happening!! friends and supporters who have held her down through it all!” reads the message on the GoFundMe page.
The GoFundMe also said that after the recent surgery to repair the brain bleed, Spencer was recovering at home “with the assistance of home health care aides daily who were focusing on physical and occupational therapy for some memory loss, slurred speech and to teach her how to walk again.” When the home therapy was not sufficient, she was transferred to a rehab facility.
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“She suffered for a very long time but did it with a great deal of courage,” Nelson told The Hollywood Reporter.
After she left acting, Spencer went on to become a veterinarian. In fact, producer James L. Brooks cast her as one in the 1997 Oscar-winning film As Good As It Gets.
“She had a great love of animals, she was like Betty White in that way,” Nelson said.
On What’s Happening!!, Spencer played the sarcastic younger sister of Raj Thomas (Ernest Thomas) and daughter of Mabel (Mabel King). She reprised the role for the follow-up series What’s Happening Now!, which aired from 1985 to 1988.
‘What’s Happening!!’ Star Dies at 60 first appeared on Parade on Aug 12, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.