In April 2023, Jamie Foxx was rushed to an Atlanta hospital with a “medical complication.” News leaked that this was a serious, life-threatening emergency, which had fans praying for his recovery. His family kept things private, which led to endless internet conspiracies about the “Ray” star’s health. Now, the Oscar winner is finally telling his story in the new Netflix comedy special, “Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was,” which was just nominated for a Golden Globe.
He hit the stage with his signature enthusiasm and presence, declaring, “I’m back!” He danced and joked with the Atlanta audience, then went into the details of the incident.
“April 11, I was having a bad headache, and I asked my boy for aspirin. I realized quickly that when you’re in a medical emergency, your boys don’t know what the fuck to do,” he joked.
Foxx revealed that he blacked out before he took the aspirin. The first doctor he went to didn’t take his situation seriously, giving him a cortisone shot before discharging him. “I don’t know if you can do Yelps for doctors, but that’s half a star,” he said.
It was his sister, Deidra Dixon, who got him to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta where the doctor told her that he was “having a brain bleed that has led to a stroke.” The “Django Unchained” actor needed emergency surgery to save his life. He made it through the procedure, with the doctor informing his sister that Foxx “may be able to make a full recovery, but it’s going to be the worst year of his life.” He confirmed, “That’s what it was.”
The multi-hyphenate entertainer got emotional as he discussed the difficulty of his rehab. He explained that Dixon and his daughter, Corinne Foxx, “cut it all off” to protect him. “They didn’t want you to see me like that. And I didn’t want you to see me like that,” Foxx said.
The “Any Given Sunday” star expressed how important his sense of humor was to his recovery, dropping spot on impressions of Katt Williams; Denzel Washington; Dave Chappelle; Mike Tyson; and Donald Trump. Several times he repeated the mantra, “If I could stay funny, I could stay alive.”
After a touching story about how his 14-year-old daughter Anelise Bishop snuck into his hospital room and played guitar to help keep his vitals down, she joined him on stage for a tear-jerking duet.
And as for those early reports about him addressing rumors that Diddy was behind his “mystery illness,” turns out they were all jokes and none of it was serious. He also had fun with the cloning conspiracies, claiming that “You can’t clone this” while running through a highlight reel of his greatest characters and songs.
He wrapped up the special with a gospel song about appreciating his second chance, which then hilariously transitioned into a more upbeat number about him being done dating white women.
The way he effortlessly moved between his emotional recollection and his signature silly comedic style shows his fans that Jamie Foxx is definitely back to the captivating entertainer we all know and love.