Jamie Foxx’s new Netflix comedy special, What Had Happened Was, dives into the harrowing medical emergency that nearly took his life in 2023.
On stage, Foxx enthusiastically declared, “I’m back!” before dancing and hyping up the crowd. He shared that his life was saved just 400 yards from the Atlanta theater where the special was filmed, at Piedmont Hospital.
Fighting back tears, Foxx recounted his ordeal. On April 11, 2023, he experienced a severe headache and asked a friend for aspirin. Moments later, he blacked out and remained unconscious for 20 days. A doctor initially dismissed his symptoms with a cortisone shot, but Foxx’s sister, Deidra Dixon, recognized the gravity of the situation and rushed him to Piedmont Hospital.
There, doctors diagnosed a brain bleed that had led to a stroke. “My sister knelt down outside the operating room and prayed the whole time,” Foxx said, crediting her for saving his life.
Foxx described the experience of being unconscious as strangely peaceful, even joking about seeing a tunnel without a light. “It was hot in that tunnel. I thought I was going to the wrong place. Or was that Puffy [Sean Combs] at the end?” he quipped, blending humour into the seriousness of the story.
Recovery was a grueling process. Doctors warned his family it would be the hardest year of his life. When Foxx awoke at a rehabilitation center in May, he struggled to understand his condition, even joking about his surprise at being bathed by a nurse without remembering it. “I lost everything, but the only thing I could hold onto was my sense of humor,” he shared.
Foxx’s daughter, Anelise, played a pivotal role in his recovery, sneaking into his hospital room with a guitar. Her music calmed him, lowering his vitals and bringing what he described as a “miracle moment.”
The special culminated with a touching father-daughter duet, with Anelise saying, “You had to make it because I always dreamed we would perform together on stage one day.”
Throughout the show, Foxx addressed conspiracy theories about his illness, shared spiritual reflections on his second chance at life, and entertained with impressions of Denzel Washington, Dave Chappelle, and others.
The evening ended with gratitude as Foxx thanked his family, medical team, and fans, singing, “Thank you for my body. Thank you for my soul.”
Foxx’s journey is both a testament to his resilience and a heartfelt reminder of the power of family, faith, and humor in overcoming life’s darkest moments.
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