In a recent Netflix special, Jamie Foxx talked candidly about the sickness that kept him in the hospital last year and left him unable to recall a 20-day period from April to May 2023.
In his December 10 Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, the 56-year-old Foxx disclosed that he had a brain hemorrhage that resulted in a stroke.
As he described it in the show, Foxx’s hidden sickness was first revealed in April 2023 when his daughter Corinne Fox posted a statement revealing her father had been admitted to the hospital following a medical problem.Later, it was discovered that his illness was so severe that family members had come to visit him in bed.
The Oscar winner has since intermittently disclosed certain information, such as the fact that he had a severe headache before the incident and couldn’t recall 20 days of his life.
He discussed his memories of that time period in depth in the show, found humor in his recuperation, and said that he couldn’t have survived without his family, which included his sister Deidra Dixon and his daughters Corinne Foxx and Anelise Bishop.
Foxx also thought back on his time in Chicago rehab, where he was confined to a wheelchair and unable to move when he woke up in early May.
Throughout the special, Foxx repeatedly emphasized how near death his health had brought him, and he thanked the audience for their prayers and support.
Throughout, Foxx interspersed his humor with musical numbers and impersonations, even bringing teenage Anelise on stage once.
In his recent Netflix special, Jamie Foxx discussed his health.
What was Jamie Foxx s illness?
Jamie Foxx disclosed that he suffered a brain bleed that resulted in a stroke in his most recent Netflix special.
He claimed that on April 11, 2023, he approached a friend for an aspirin after developing a severe headache. Alongside Glenn Close and Cameron Diaz, he was working on the movie Back in Action at the time. It will be available on Netflix in January 2025.
For Foxx, the initial headache marked the start of a terrifying period. In the special, he stated, “I don’t remember 20 days.”
As soon as Foxx arrived at the hospital, physicians operated on him. While they couldn t find the original source of the brain bleed, they believed it would be possible for him to make a full recovery, though they told his sister it would be difficult.
Foxx said the cause of the medical issue is still unknown.
He stated early in the special that it is a mystery. The specifics of what happened to me are still unknown. All I can tell you is that I appreciate every prayer, because I needed every prayer.
Foxx said he woke up on May 4 in a wheelchair and then was flown to Chicago to do his rehabilitation.
Foxx s first update following his ordeal came in July 2023, when he spoke about his hospitalization in an emotionalInstagram video.
I cannot even begin to tell you how far it took me and how it brought me back, he said in the video. I went through something that I thought I would never ever go through. I know a lot of people were waiting or wanting to hear updates, but to be honest with you, I just didn t want you to see me like that.
A month later, he posted another update on Instagram.
You re lookin at a man who is thankful finally startin to feel like myself it s been an unexpected dark journey but I can see the light, he wrote.
Jamie Foxx reveals new details about health scare
In the special, Foxx revealed that his headache, an early symptom of his brain bleed, was dismissed by the first doctor he saw, who gave him a cortisone shot and sent him home. He joked about wanting to give the doctor half a star in an online review.
However, Dixon felt like something was still wrong because Foxx was lethargic, Foxx said.
Dixon drove aimlessly around Atlanta with Foxx in the car looking for hospitals until she came upon Piedmont Hospital.
What s interesting was as she drove around, she didn t know anything about Piedmont Hospital, but she had a hunch that some angels were sending her, Foxx said. Because she said that s we we re going to need.
A cool doctor in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey then told Foxx s sister that he was having a brain bleed that has led to a stroke, and if I don t go into his head right now, we re going to lose him.
And (Dixon) fired back and said, You can go in his head, but you re not going to find anything, because I already talked to God.
Foxx was later told that he was taken into the operating room as his sister knelt down outside the room and prayed the entire time.
Your life doesn t flash before your face, he said. It s kind of oddly peaceful. I say this all the time, I saw the tunnel, I didn t see the light.
The doctor then came out after surgery and said that they didn t find what caused the brain bleed but did confirm he was having one, Foxx said.
He may be able to make a full recovery, but it s going to be the worst year of his life, Foxx said the doctor relayed to his sister.
The actor credited Dixon and his daughters for helping him throughout the ordeal.
My daughter didn t want nobody to see me because I was dizzy from the stroke, he quipped. So my head would do this (shakes head).
What is a brain bleed?
A brain bleed, also known as an intracranial hemorrhage, is a type of stroke,according to the Cleveland Clinic. The blood pools between the brain and the skull and prevents oxygen from getting to the brain. The condition can be fatal and requires fast treatment.
Common symptoms, according to Cleveland Clinic, include:
- Sudden tingling, weakness, numbness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
-
Sudden, severe headache, also known as a
thunderclap headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Confusion and dizziness
- Slurred speech
- Lethargy
Did Jamie Foxx have a stroke?
Yes, Jamie Foxx had a stroke in April 2023. He revealed in his Netflix special, released December 2024, that he had suffered a brain bleed, which led to a stroke.
A stroke occurs when the brain is not able to get necessary blood flow, usually due to a blockage or a blood vessel in the brain bursting, as was the case with Foxx. Both scenarios can lead to damage to the brain. Strokes can cause long-term disability or death,according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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