Actress Holly Robinson Peete is disappointment with the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards for failing to include her late friend Dr. Danielle Spencer in the “In Memoriam” segment.
Spencer, who passed away last month, was known for her iconic role as Dee Thomas on the sitcom “What’s Happening!!”. The actress and veterinarian, was overlooked during the September 14 broadcast.
On X, Peete wrote, “How could the Emmys forget to mention my friend Dr. Danielle Spencer—our beloved & HILARIOUS Dee Thomas from What’s Happening!! in their ‘In Memoriam’?? 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.
“Brillance! 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.”
Both Peete and Nelson attended the funeral of Spencer, last month, which took place in Richmond, Virginia.
“Yesterday in Richmond, I had the honor of remembering Dr. Danielle Spencer — known to the world as the hilarious ‘Dee’ from What’s Happening — but to me, she was my sweet girlfriend and schoolmate when we were just 12 and 13,” Peete wrote in the post, shared Friday, Aug. 22. “I will never forget her kindness, her grace, and her strength through life’s many challenges.”
Spencer, who died at 60, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014.
MTV Host, Ananda Lewis and Candyman actor Tony Todd also were not mentioned in the “In Memoriam” segment.