Actor Jamie Foxx has disclosed details about a major health scare he experienced in 2023, revealing that he suffered a brain bleed that resulted in a stroke.
The Hollywood star shared his journey in a new Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was, released on Tuesday.
“It’s still a mystery,” Foxx said. “We don’t fully know what happened.”
Recalling the events of April 11, 2023, he said, “I had a terrible headache and asked my friend for an aspirin. But in moments like that, you quickly realize your friends don’t know what the f**k to do in an emergency.”
Before he could take the aspirin, Foxx collapsed and lost consciousness, leaving him with no memory of the following 20 days.
Foxx credited his sister, whom he described as “4 foot 11 of pure love,” for driving him around Atlanta in search of a hospital. They eventually arrived at Piedmont Hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a brain bleed that caused a stroke. Doctors warned that without immediate surgery, he would not survive.
After undergoing the operation, Foxx was told he might recover fully, but it would be “the worst year of his life.”
During his recovery, Foxx’s family shielded him from the public eye due to the severity of his condition. He recalled being “so dizzy” that his head bobbed uncontrollably, and his daughter feared he might become the subject of internet memes if seen in such a vulnerable state.
By May 4, Foxx woke up in a wheelchair, unable to walk. When informed by a friend that he’d had a stroke, he responded in disbelief, saying, “Jamie Foxx doesn’t get strokes.”
Foxx was later flown to Chicago for rehabilitation, where he was advised to shed his “arrogant” attitude to focus on his recovery.
The actor’s health crisis occurred while he was filming a Netflix project in Atlanta. At the time, his daughter Corinne Foxx described the incident as a “medical complication” on social media, withholding specific details.
In July 2023, Foxx addressed fans in an emotional Instagram video, explaining why he had stayed silent about his condition. “I didn’t want you to see me like that,” he said. “I wanted you to see me laughing, partying, and being myself—not with tubes sticking out of me, fighting for my life.”
In August 2023, Foxx provided another update, sharing on social media: “You’re looking at a man who is thankful… finally starting to feel like myself… It’s been an unexpected dark journey, but I can see the light.”
