Jamie Foxx opened up about his mystery hospitalization in April 2023 to his audience at a taping for his Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was. The star shared his “near-death experience” and how he was in a coma for weeks.
The special is set to premiere on December 10, setting the record straight about what happened and sharing his recovery journey.
What happened in 2023
Foxx was rushed to A&E in April 2023, having had a then-unknown “medical complication,” as he and his family decided to keep the details private during that time.
Turns out, he had a brain bleed and a stroke that made him lose 20 days’ worth of memories and left him unable to walk.
The day it happened
Foxx recalled how on that fateful day, he had a headache and told his son to get him an aspirin. Suddenly, the whole thing turned into an emergency and his family was left baffled.
He confessed that they still don’t know what exactly led to the brain bleed.
It happened mid-filming
Foxx got hospitalized just a few weeks after returning to filming Back in Action, a trouble-hit thriller. He had a “meltdown” that made his co-star Cameron Diaz want to quit acting again.
They eventually had to abort filming due to Foxx’s pressing circumstances.
Why the family kept it a secret
The Oscar-winning actor expressed his gratitude to his sister, having driven him to Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital, where he underwent a life-saving procedure.
The family kept it a secret as Foxx was groggy from the stroke and his head was bobbing around, they thought that people would make memes out of him.
The day he woke up
Foxx revealed that he woke up from his coma on May 4 and he recalled how he woke up being unable to walk, having been in a wheelchair.
He even had to go to therapy to handle his ego about the whole situation, with the therapist telling him: “You need to kill the old Jamie so the new Jamie can thrive.”
His daughter was a rock
Demecos Chambers, a dedicated fan of Foxx who attended the standup taping last October, told CNN about how Foxx recounted that “His daughter was playing a family guitar and that is what woke him up and kept him alive during his coma.”
The secretive nature of the standup special
Chambers revealed to CNN that the audience was required to seal their phones in pouches during the performance but they can speak freely about the show.
In addition, Netflix is not sending the press members screeners in advance, and Foxx is not doing any interviews before the special’s premiere.
Foxx addresses false suggestions
Chambers also recounted the part of the show was Foxx telling his own story and the story about his tragic illness but from the point of view of social media and the speculations surrounding the whole matter.
There were false claims that Foxx was being cloned, overdosing on drugs, or being poisoned.
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He seems to be in good health now
Chambers revealed to CNN that Foxx seems to be in good health now, though he still seems to be recovering, saying: “He was able to function on his own and didn’t need any assistance on stage. He’s very much active and robust, but you can tell that he’s recovering from a serious health issue – he’s more conscious of how he moves.”
An amazing storyteller
Chambers recounted how Foxx was talking “about how great he feels,” and he was doing some jumping up and down. Chambers also added, “Jamie is an amazing storyteller. He can tell a story where you feel like you’re sitting with your uncles. It was hilarious.”