Danielle Spencer dead at 60 What's Happening!! actress Danielle Spencer has died at the age of 60 after a "long battle with cancer". 12 August 2025 Danielle Spencer has died. Danielle Spencer dead at 60 The 60-year-old former actress - who was best known for playing precocious youngster Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom What's Happening!! - passed away in hospital in Richmond, Virginia on Monday (11.08.25) after a "long battle with cancer". Her What's Happening co-star Haywood Nelson wrote on Instagram: "Brilliance! It comes in a great many forms.