Holly Robinson Peete was not happy with the Emmys’ In Memoriam segment this year.
On Monday, September 15, Peete, 60, shared her surprise that the awards show had left out What’s Happening!! actress Danielle Spencer, who died in August at age 60. “How could the Emmys forget to mention my friend Dr. Danielle Spencer—our beloved Dee Thomas from What’s Happening!! in their ‘In Memoriam’??💔,” Peete wrote via Instagram.
She continued: “She broke barriers, made us laugh, and inspired a generation. Make it make sense! To leave her out is not just an oversight, it’s an injustice to her legacy. We will honor her, even if they didn’t. ✊🏾.”
Spencer’s friend and former costar Haywood Nelson shared the news of her death via Instagram on August 12.
“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),” Nelson wrote on the social media platform. “Dr. Dee, our brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior, without fail, has finally found her release from the clutches of this world and a body. We celebrate Danielle Spencer and her contributions as we regret to inform her departure and transition from a long battle with cancer.”
He added, “We have lost a daughter, sister, family member, ‘What’s Happening’ cast member, veterinarian animal rights proponent and healer, and cancer heroine. Our Shero. Danielle is loved. She will be missed in this form and forever embraced.”
Spencer was best known for her role on the sitcom and its sequel, What’s Happening Now!! She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014.
The In Memoriam segment was introduced by Phylicia Rashad and featured several TV stars, including Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Anne Burrell and George Wendt.
However, in addition to Spencer, many were missing: Pee-wee’s Playhouse actress Lynne Marie Stewart, wrestler Hulk Hogan and General Hospital actress Leslie Charleson, among others.
Most of that list was recognized in a longer video shared on the Emmy Awards’ website.
“Every year, the Emmy Awards and the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremonies each present an In Memoriam video. Given only a few minutes to honor those who have passed, there is a limit on how many people can be acknowledged on the broadcasts,” the description of the video reads. “We’ve presented a more extensive video, listing the hundreds of names of television colleagues we’ve lost in the past year.”
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