Who was Danielle Spencer? Everything to know as Days of Our Lives alum passes away at 60

Actor-turned-veterinarian Danielle Spencer appeared on one episode of Days of Our Lives. However, the actor was known for her role in What’s Happening!!. She played the young Dee Thomas in the ABC show. Danielle lost her battle with cancer on August 11, 2025. She was 60 years old at the time of her death.

While her debut role as Dee on What’s Happening!! catapulted her to fame, she resumed the same role in a sequel series. In 2001, she played a vendor on Days of Our Lives. She made her appearance in one episode of the then-NBC, now Peacock, daily soap.

Meanwhile, Days of Our Lives continues as the DiMera family awaits Johnny’s court hearings to come to a definite end. Meanwhile, the Kiriakis brothers are facing a threat as Tony has his mole, Gabi, among them. At the same time, Xander’s broken marriage threatens to destroy his peace.

Elsewhere, the Black family has many issues tormenting them, from Tate’s baby adoption to Marlena’s mysterious health issues. Meanwhile, the newborn baby Tesoro may yet take time to reunite with his biological family.

Danielle Spencer’s acting career

Born in New Jersey, Danielle was raised in Bronx. After her father left a very young Danielle and her writer mother, she found a father figure in her mother’s new husband. She started taking acting classes at the age of eight while dabbling in some projects. As mentioned before, her first notable work was as Dee Thomas on What’s Happening!!

Danielle was part of 64 episodes in the series for a period of approximately four years till 1979. During this period, she also appeared on other shows. She played Dee on 1977’s The Brady Bunch Hour and Emma Sheridan in the 1978 show, Special Treat.

When a sequel to her debut show was planned in 1985, Danielle was naturally part of the series. She reprised her role as Dee Thomas in 16 episodes of What’s Happening Now!! till the series was called off in 1988. Later, she made a cameo appearance on DOOL. In movies, Danielle played a veterinarian in As Good as It Gets and also, Peter Rabbit and the Crucifix.

Danielle Spencer: Personal life and death

Danielle studied to become a veterinarian and earned her doctorate degree in 1993. She practiced in California before moving to Virginia to be near her family. Besides portraying a veterinarian in movies, she also hosted pet care news casts.

While married twice, Danielle’s health deteriorated with multiple issues. A car accident in 1977 landed her with spinal injury while killing her stepfather. She faced chronic pain and balance issues in 2004. This led to her being diagnosed with spinal stenosis. A corrective surgery left her paralyzed for eight months.

In 2014, Danielle was diagnosed with breast cancer, forcing her to undergo a double mastectomy. In 2018, she was operated upon to relieve a brain bleed. Recently, she had been fighting stomach cancer before succumbing to it. She died in Chippenham Hospital, Virginia, and is survived by her husband, David L. David.

Her What’s Happening!! co-actor, Haywood Nelson, remembers her in his social media post as a positive and pragmatic warrior. Emphasizing that she will be missed, he termed Danielle Spencer, a “Shero”.

Meanwhile, tune into Peacock to catch the latest drama on Days of Our Lives.