Jamie Foxx reveals brain bleed, stroke in Netflix special

Jamie Foxx is now revealing the truth behind the mystery illness that hospitalized him earlier this year in a new Netflix special. In “What Had Happened Was,” Foxx returns to Atlanta, the city where his health crisis began, to share the details of his frightening experience.

The mystery illness revealed

Back in April 2023, Jaime Foxx’s daughter Corinne Foxx shared a statement confirming that the Oscar-winning actor had been hospitalized due to a medical emergency while filming “Back in Action.” At the time, his family remained tight-lipped about the specifics of his condition to protect his fans from seeing him in such a vulnerable state.

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It wasn’t until July 2023 that Jaime Foxx spoke publicly about his illness. In an emotional Instagram post, he shared, “I went through something I thought I would never ever go through.”

Although the Netflix special is primarily comedic, the 56-year-old gets emotional as he explains how his “mystery illness” was caused by a brain bleed that led to a stroke. He recounts the events that led up to his hospitalization.

On April 11, 2023, Foxx had a severe headache and asked for aspirin, but before he could take it, he blacked out.

“I don’t remember 20 days,” Foxx said.

A life-threatening diagnosis

After an initial doctor visit and a cortisone shot, Foxx’s sister, Deidra Dixon, took him to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. There, doctors informed the family that surgery was urgently needed.

The doctor later told Dixon that Foxx would recover, but it would be “the worst year of his life.” Foxx confirms that it indeed was. Doctors even feared for his life during the first 15 days due to his high vital signs.

A long road to recovery

When Foxx woke up, he was in a rehabilitation center in Chicago. Despite being told why he was there, Foxx says he struggled to believe the severity of what had happened. 

He also shares a humorous moment from his recovery, joking about being reluctant to let a nurse bathe him –– only to discover she had been bathing him for days. Despite his challenges, Foxx says his sense of humor was the one thing he could still hold onto.

Throughout the special, faith is a recurring theme. Foxx believes his stroke was a wake-up call from God, a sign that he hadn’t been taking his blessings seriously.

Setting the record straight

Foxx also addresses the lies and conspiracy theories that swirled online, including rumors about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ involvement and comedian Katt Williams’ claims that he knew what happened. 

“Katt will say 2,000 things that don’t make sense but then say four things that make sense and put ‘sir’ at the end of it,” Foxx joked.

By the end of the special, Foxx thanks Atlanta for saving his life and expresses gratitude to everyone who supported him through prayers.