Jamie Foxx speaks onstage at the 15th Governors Awards held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood on November 17, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Actor and comedian Jamie Foxx has opened up about the medical emergency that led to his extended hospital stay while filming a movie in metro Atlanta. Speaking during his new Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was..., Foxx recounted the events that nearly took his life.
The 56-year-old Oscar winner revealed that on April 11, 2023, he experienced a "bad headache" and asked for aspirin, according to Variety.com.
Before he could take it, he blacked out and didn't wake up until weeks later. His friends initially took him to a doctor who administered a cortisone shot. Recognizing the seriousness of his condition, his sister, Deidra Dixon, took him to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta.
Doctors at Piedmont diagnosed Foxx with a brain bleed that caused a stroke. He underwent emergency surgery, after which doctors told Dixon he might make a full recovery, but it would be the worst year of his life. Foxx later confirmed their prediction.
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Foxx’s family, including Dixon and his daughter Corinne, chose to shield him from public scrutiny during his recovery, releasing minimal updates about his condition. Corinne later confirmed that Foxx was out of the hospital and recuperating about a month after surgery. Foxx regained consciousness on May 4, 2023, only to find himself in a wheelchair.
During the Netflix special, Foxx thanked Atlanta repeatedly for saving his life, noting that Piedmont Hospital is just 400 yards from the Alliance Theatre, where the special was filmed in October. He also shared a heartfelt story about his youngest daughter sneaking into the hospital with a guitar, leading to a touching father-daughter duet.
Foxx addressed internet conspiracy theories about his medical emergency, including bizarre claims involving Sean "Puffy" Combs. He dismissed the rumors humorously, stating he always left Combs’ infamous parties early because because something didn't look tight.
Foxx also responded to comedian Katt Williams, who poked fun at him during Williams’ own Netflix special.
While the cause of Foxx’s brain bleed remains unknown, the special, currently streaming on Netflix, is both a celebration of his recovery and a heartfelt thank-you to Atlanta for its role in saving his life.
The movie Foxx was filming at the time of his medical emergency, "Back in Action" with Cameron Diaz, is scheduled to premiere on Netflix in 2025.