“What's Happening!!” child TV star Danielle Spencer dies at 60

NBC4 Los Angeles ^ | 8/12/25 | Dennis Broad and Jonathan Lloyd

[DallasBiff]

Child star Danielle Spencer, who portrayed Dee Thomas on the 1970s comedy TV series "What's Happening!!," has died at 60, according to former co-star and friend Haywood Nelson.

In an Instagram post, Nelson said Spencer died Monday in Virginia. No cause of death was included in the post, which featured a photo on Spencer.

Nelson told NBCLA Tuesday that he spoke with Spencer's mother, who confirmed she had died. He described Spencer as a "brilliant person who loved animals" and moved on from acting to become a veterinarian. Nelson, who played Dwayne as Spencer's "What's Happening!!" co-star, told NBCLA he spoke to her about a week ago and marveled at her positivity and optimism.

[TexasFreeper2009]

nearly every cast member has died now

[montag813]

That was such a great show. Dee vs. Roger. Shirley vs. Rerun. Rerun asking the Doobie Brothers "Which Doobie you be?"

So good. RIP, Dee!

[Cowgirl of Justice]

Same. And Good Times. And The Jeffersons. And Fat Albert. And Soul Train when cartoons ended. Oh, and The Jacksons cartoons.

Growing up in The South, we didn’t have black friends. We just called each other Friend.

[packrat35]

I believe her parents were killed in a car wreck and she was badly injured during the filming of the show and they put it on hiatus while she recovered.

[packrat35]

Yep me too.

[wally_bert]

I remember it being a good show.

RIP.

[tumblindice]

jabba dabba die

[al baby]

[desertsolitaire]

https://youtu.be/dwxLekENDw0?si=sBxnuStMd5c_qFkC

[WhiteHatBobby0701]

The success of reairing the original (which only had 65 episodes) meant it could air once a week as a strip — the risk of a 65-episode show made it hard to sell reruns in the 1980’s because of the change from weekly strips to daily strips for NATPE.

Its success led to the weekly syndicated sequel from LBS Communications and Columbia Pictures, which acquired series creator Bud Yorkin’s TOY Productions in 1979, and What’s Happening Now ran another three seasons of 66 episodes in syndication produced by the joint venture of Coca-Cola (which acquired Columbia Pictures in 1984).

The revival allows Sony, which which acquired Coca-Cola’s studio in 1989, to sell to sell both What’s Happening! and What’s Happening Now as one single strip of 26.1 weeks (131 episodes). It takes three (33-39 episodes), four (25 episodes), or five (22 episodes) seasons to reach television’s important 100 episode list for strip sales.

[GSWarrior]

That the gang on What’s Happening was excited to see a biker band from San Jose seemed like a stretch,

[RandallFlagg]

And Dee Dee asked the only black guy in the band, “So, what are you? The half brother?”

I may have had a little crush on her back then.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

They can’t all be Billy Mumy, Patty McCormack or Ronny Howard.

Or Danny Bonaduce.

[ChildOfThe60s]

Unfortunate. 60 is pretty young (by my standards)

[Dr. Sivana]

Or Danny Bonaduce

He looked even better because of the two stiffs (Chris and Tracy) he would be compared to. Heck, they changed out Chris and no one even noticed. At least when they got a tot drummer for "I Love Lucy" (playing Little Ricky) they found one who could actually drum.

Meanwhile, Sherwood Schwartz could find six good to very good child actors specifying three blonde girls (the youngest one in curls) and three brunet boys (Bobby dyed his, but close enough).

Brandon Cruz in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" was over the top cloying. And Hal, Butch, and Prudence undermined the excellent acting of Juliet Mills and Richard Long in Nanny and the Professor. Worst of all was the kid who played Richie Petry. They wound up having him over at the Helpers all the time, so Rob and Laura could spend more time socializing.

[38special]

Shirley was a real hoot

[ifinnegan]

Funny show.

Classic.

[ifinnegan]

You saw your own ass is all because that’s what your head is up.

[GingisK]

That comment is odd. What triggered it?

[dfwgator]

Well it was the Michael McDonald era Doobies.