What is Haywood Nelson doing now? 'What’s Happening!!' star mourns co-star Danielle Spencer’s death

Haywood Nelson is mourning the demise of his What's Happening!! co-star, Danielle Spencer.

Haywood Nelson, who played Dwayne Nelson opposite Spencer's Dee Thomas on the show, was the first to announce her demise, at the age of 60. He took to Instagram on August 11 to pen a heartfelt statement in her honor:

“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),” he began.

For the unversed, Haywood Nelson is most known for his time on the ABC sitcom, though he also has several other credits to his name. He has worked on several brand campaigns, feature films, and even had a two-year stint on Broadway. Per IMDb, he also doubles as a second assistant cameraperson, lighting technician, film distributor, and screen writer, among other things.

Lately, Haywood Nelson has been working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. According to an Instagram post from April, he produced and acted in his own feature film, The Maurice Hunter Story.

"It is the unlikely rise out of the rioted streets of Detroit through adversity and up the ranks into professional tennis and on to the major tournaments in Europe and the U.S. Open. As part of a two picture deal we are also in development with “The Father of Miranda” about Yale Kamisar, the legendary legal professor that brought us the Miranda Rights," he said of the film.

Everything we know about Danielle Spencer's shocking demise and Haywood Nelson's tribute to his friend

In his tribute on Instagram, Haywood Nelson said of his late friend, who eventually became a veterinarian:

“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 continued,

“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.”

As of this writing, Danielle Spencer's exact cause of death remains unclear. FandomWire has reported that it was gastric cancer, though this has yet to be confirmed. Per the outlet, she was previously diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, though after undergoing chemotherapy, she recovered from it in 2018.

People reported that during the filming of the ABC sitcom, when she was younger, Danielle and her stepfather, Tim Pelt, got into a car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. It claimed the life of the latter and left the actress recuperating for six months after a three-week coma.

Speaking about the accident in her 2011 memoir, Through The Fire… Journal of a Child Star, she said:

“I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to my stepfather, Daddy Tim, whom I loved and who taught me show business as a young child in New York."

She also suffered from spinal stenosis in 2004, which left her briefly paralyzed.

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