Jamie Foxx has finally opened up about the mysterious illness that led to his 20-day hospitalization last year. The 56-year-old actor and comedian recently shared details of his health scare with a group of restaurant patrons in Phoenix, Arizona. According to Foxx, the ordeal began on April 11, 2023, when he experienced a severe headache and asked a friend for an Advil.
“Look, April 11 last year, bad headache, asked my boy for an Advil. I was gone for 20 days,” Foxx said in a video that has been circulating on social media. He admitted that he doesn’t remember anything from that period.
Foxx recounted that he was in Atlanta at the time, and his sister and daughter took him to the first doctor, who administered a cortisone shot. However, the next doctor indicated that there was something more serious going on, pointing to his head. Foxx chose not to disclose further details on camera.
The actor was hospitalized on April 11, 2023, after reportedly suffering a “medical complication” while filming the Netflix action comedy “Back in Action” in Atlanta. His daughter, Corinne Foxx, shared a statement on Instagram the following day, informing fans of her father’s condition. “Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery,” she wrote, asking for privacy during that time.
Later that month, it was revealed that Foxx was “awake and alert” as doctors tried to determine what had happened. Various conspiracy theories emerged, including claims that the COVID-19 vaccine was to blame for his hospitalization, which Foxx quickly debunked as “completely inaccurate.”
Foxx issued his first public statement after the hospitalization on May 3, 2023, thanking his fans for their love and support. In an emotional Instagram video posted in July, he described the experience as “hellish” and explained why he had been reluctant to share updates. “I didn’t want you to see me with tubes running out of me and trying to figure out if I was going to make it through,” he said, with tears in his eyes.
Although Foxx did not disclose the exact nature of his illness, he assured fans that he was on the road to recovery. He also clarified that his eyes were functioning well and that he was not paralyzed.
Foxx resumed filming “Back in Action” with co-star Cameron Diaz in January, after a body double temporarily took over his role. A source told People magazine that Foxx “looks and feels fantastic” and was eager to complete the project. The movie is set to be released by Netflix on November 15.
In a video shared on TikTok, a woman named Brenda Combs recounted her encounter with Foxx in downtown Phoenix. “He said April 11th 2023 he had a bad headache and asked a friend for an Advil. Woke up 20 days later with no memory of what happened. His resilience is truly inspiring!” she wrote in the caption.
Foxx’s eldest daughter, Corinne, recently told ET that her father is “doing so great” more than a year after the health scare. She expressed gratitude for being able to work with him on the musical game show “Beat Shazam,” which allowed her to spend more time with him. Corinne also revealed that Foxx has developed a love for pickleball during his recovery, playing the sport twice a day.
News of Foxx’s undisclosed condition and his decision to stay out of the public eye prompted widespread speculation about his health. In March, Foxx said he was finally ready to share more details about the “medical complication” he had suffered, but only in a way that felt right for him. “Everybody wants to know what happened, and I’m going to tell you what happened,” he said at the African American Film Critics Association Special Achievement Awards lunch. “But I’ve gotta do it in my way. I’m gonna do it in a funny way. We’re gonna be on the stage. We’re gonna get back to the standup sort of roots.”
In an Instagram post shared last summer, Foxx explained that he had kept a low profile during his recovery because he “just didn’t want you to see me with tubes running out of me and trying to figure out if I was going to make it through.” He frequently thanked his daughter Corinne and his sister Deidra Dixon for their support, crediting them with saving his life. “They kept it airtight, they let nothing out, they protected me. And that’s what I hope everyone could have in moments like these,” he said.
Foxx’s resilience and determination to recover have been truly inspiring. As he continues to regain his health, fans eagerly await his return to the big screen and the stage.
Source: Getty Images, TikTok, Instagram, People, ET
