Jamie Foxx Opens Up About His "Mystery" Illness: "I Needed Every Prayer"
The singer and actor is now on the mend following a major medical scare.
A Motown Christmas star and Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx is opening up about his recent health issue and the gratitude he feels in its wake.
In his new special What Had Happened Was..., Foxx revealed he suffered a "brain bleed that led to a stroke" (per TODAY) in April 2023. The incident led to a 20-day hospital stint from April to May 2023 that he doesn't recall. By August of that year, he started feeling more like himself again.
Read more details about what happened to Jamie Foxx, below:
What happened to Jamie Foxx?
Here's a general timeline of Foxx's medical issue, as reported by People: In April 2023, Foxx's daughter revealed that he'd suffered a "medical complication" while filming a movie in Atlanta. By May, word was he was "not in a life-threatening situation" but was still recovering. He "finally" began to feel like himself again in August 2023.
In July 2024, Foxx revealed details about the start of his issue, telling a group that it began with a "bad headache."
“I asked my boy for an Advil,” Foxx said, per Variety. “I was gone for 20 days. I don’t remember anything. So they told me — I’m in Atlanta — so they told me my sister and my daughter took me to the first doctor. … They gave me a cortisone shot.”
What was Jamie Foxx's illness?
Eventually, they found a doctor who gave Foxx the right diagnosis: that the actor was "having a brain bleed that had led to a stroke, and if [the doctor didn't] go into his head right now," he would die (TODAY reports).
On May 4, 2023, he woke up from the ordeal and couldn't walk. He recovered in Chicago, where he eventually gained his mobility again.
“It is a mystery,” Foxx said in What Had Happened Was... “We still don’t know exactly what happened to me. All I can tell you is that I appreciate every prayer, because I needed every prayer.”
Jamie Foxx open ups about his health recovery
Variety, reports Foxx's new special, What Had Happened Was..., is less of a traditional hour of stand-up and more of an explanation for his past year. "I said if I can stay funny, I can stay alive," Foxx said in a short teaser for the special. "I’m so glad to be here," he added in another clip.
"Cannot say it enough that I am blessed to be able to tell my story in my own way. So many people to thank, so many people have prayed… A big shoutout to Atlanta. You showed up and showed out, made me feel at home, made me feel safe after 18 years of not being on stage. You made it feel like it was just yesterday… Can’t wait for everyone to experience the vibe that we had," Foxx wrote on Instagram about filming his special.
"This is my mantra… After surviving something that I thought I would never go through… My good friend James who also happens to be my manager, gave me this phrase… I live by it now… when you come through the darkness, the light looks brighter… and while I’m at it, I want to say thank you to everyone that sent up a prayer… I needed it 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾" he wrote in another post.
See Jamie Foxx in A Motown Christmas
Foxx appears in NBC's A Motown Christmas, which airs Wednesday, December 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and will be available the next day on Peacock. In the event, Jamie Foxx will lead a celebration of Stevie Wonder’s greatest hits alongside BeBe Winans, Jordin Sparks, and Andra Day. The special is hosted by Halle Bailey and Smokey Robinson.
