If you grew up in the late '70s, you can probably still hear the theme song. That funky, upbeat brass section. You probably remember the red berets, the suspenders, and the high-pitched "Ooooh, I’m gonna tell Mama!" It’s been nearly fifty years since What's Happening!! first burst onto ABC, bringing the lives of Raj, Rerun, and Dwayne into living rooms across America.
But honestly, the story of what happened to the What's Happening tv show characters after the cameras stopped rolling is a lot heavier than the sitcom’s laugh track suggests.
While the show felt like a permanent summer afternoon at Rob’s Place, the reality for the cast involved incredible highs and some pretty devastating lows. As of 2026, the landscape has changed significantly. With the passing of Danielle Spencer—the legendary "Dee"—in late 2025, only two members of the central teenage trio are still with us. It's a surreal moment for fans who spent their youth watching these kids navigate South Central Los Angeles.
The Tragic Loss of Dr. Danielle Spencer (Dee Thomas)
The biggest news regarding the What's Happening tv show characters lately is undeniably the loss of Danielle Spencer. She passed away on August 11, 2025, at the age of 60. For many, Dee was the heart of the show. She was the "bratty" little sister who was actually the smartest person in any room.
But Danielle’s life was defined by far more than just her catchphrases.
Back in 1977, right when the show was hitting its stride, she was in a horrific car accident. It killed her stepfather, Tim Pelt, and left her in a coma for three weeks. She spent months in physical therapy just to be able to work again. That accident left her with lifelong health struggles, including spinal stenosis.
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She didn't let it stop her, though.
She eventually left Hollywood to become a veterinarian. Think about that for a second. Most child stars struggle to find a second act, but she became "Dr. Dee," graduating from Tuskegee University. She spent decades treating animals before she started facing serious health battles again—first breast cancer in 2014, then a brain hematoma in 2018. Her death in 2025, following a battle with cancer and sepsis, marked the end of an era for the cast.
Ernest Lee Thomas: The Forever Raj
Ernest Lee Thomas, who played Roger "Raj" Thomas, is still very much active. Honestly, if you see him today, he looks like he’s discovered some secret fountain of youth. He’s 76 now, but he’s still working.
Most people know him from the original run and the '80s reboot, What's Happening Now!!, but he found a whole new generation of fans as Mr. Omar on Everybody Hates Chris. "Tragic!" was his new catchphrase there, and he leaned into it perfectly.
As of 2026, he’s actually still voicing that character in the animated revival, Everybody Still Hates Chris.
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He’s also been open about his personal struggles. He deals with Amblyopia (lazy eye), which he’s had since he was a kid. But he’s become a bit of a mentor in the industry. He was one of the first to post a heartbreaking tribute to Danielle Spencer last year, calling her his "baby sister" and expressing relief that she was no longer in pain. It’s clear that the bond between the "Thomas siblings" was real, even decades after the show ended.
Haywood Nelson: From Teen Idol to Tech Executive
Then there’s Dwayne. "Hey, hey, hey!"
Haywood Nelson was arguably the first true Black teen idol. He had the posters in Right On! magazine and the screaming fans. But Haywood did something most actors don't: he walked away when he realized the industry wasn't offering the stability he wanted.
He didn't just disappear, though. He went behind the scenes.
Haywood studied architectural design and electronics engineering. He basically traded the spotlight for the control room. Over the last couple of decades, he’s been a digital media executive and a technology consultant. He’s currently based in Los Angeles, occasionally appearing at fan conventions, but mostly focusing on the tech side of entertainment.
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When Danielle passed away, Haywood was the one who broke the news to many fans via Instagram. He called her a "pragmatic warrior." Seeing him and Ernest as the last two standing from the main trio is a bit of a gut punch for those of us who remember them as the inseparable three.
The Legacy of Rerun, Mama, and Shirley
We can't talk about What's Happening tv show characters without mentioning the ones we lost years ago. These were the characters that gave the show its flavor, and their real-life stories were just as complex.
- Fred Berry (Rerun): Fred was the breakout star. The dancing, the red beret—he was everywhere. But he famously struggled with the "Rerun" persona. He actually legally changed his middle name to Rerun at one point. He battled drug and alcohol addiction for years before finding peace as a minister. He died in 2003 at the age of 52.
- Mabel King (Mama): She was a powerhouse. She left the show after two seasons because she wanted the Thomas family to be more upwardly mobile and less "sitcom-y." She was a Broadway legend (the original Evillene in The Wiz). Sadly, she struggled with severe diabetes, which led to the loss of her legs before she passed in 1999.
- Shirley Hemphill (Shirley): The waitress at Rob’s who took no trash from anyone. Shirley was a stand-up comic at heart. She actually got her own spin-off, One in a Million, though it didn't last long. She died suddenly of kidney failure in December 1999, just weeks after Mabel King passed away.
Why This Show Still Hits Different in 2026
There’s a reason we’re still talking about these people.
Before The Cosby Show or Fresh Prince, there was What's Happening!!. It was one of the first shows to just let Black kids be kids. They weren't always dealing with "very important issues." Sometimes they were just trying to sneak a tape recorder into a Doobie Brothers concert or trying to figure out how to pay for a party.
The show was loosely based on Eric Monte’s film Cooley High, and it captured that same sense of fleeting youth.
If you're looking to reconnect with these characters, here is the best way to do it:
- Watch the Remastered Episodes: Many streaming platforms have updated the quality, and seeing the vibrant colors of 1970s L.A. is a trip.
- Read Danielle Spencer's Book: Through the Fire: Journal of a Child Star is a raw look at what she went through. It’s a must-read if you want the "real" story.
- Follow Ernest Lee Thomas on Social Media: He’s incredibly active and often shares behind-the-scenes photos that haven't been seen in decades.
The story of the What's Happening tv show characters isn't just about a TV show. It's about resilience. From car accidents and career shifts to becoming veterinarians and tech gurus, this cast proved there is life after the laugh track—even if that life is sometimes shorter than we’d like.