Actor and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx opened up about a medical emergency that nearly turned fatal.

In his Netflix comedy special “Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was,” Foxx revealed that he suffered a brain hemorrhage in April 2023 that left him in a coma for several weeks.

“I was fighting for my life,” Foxx said. “On April 11th I had a bad headache and asked my boy for an aspirin… before I could get the aspirin… I walked out. I don’t remember 20 days.”

Jamie Foxx suffered from a “cerebral hemorrhage that led to a stroke” and “didn’t remember 20 days” during the weeks-long coma.

Foxx underwent surgery to respond to the brain bleed that led to a stroke.

Foxx’s doctor at Piedmont Hospital reportedly stated, “If I don’t get on his mind now, we’re going to lose him.”

“I was fighting for my life,” Foxx said in his Netflix special as he recalled suffering from a brain hemorrhage. (Karwai Tang)

“I woke up on May 4th. When I woke up, I was in a wheelchair. I couldn’t walk,” Foxx continued.

Over time and with the help of his family and faith, Foxx slowly recovered from what he viewed as a “miracle.”

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Three months after he privately struggled with his “medical complications,” the actor opened up about the matter in a video posted to Instagram, admitting that he had gone “to hell and back.”

What is a cerebral hemorrhage?

According to Dr. Paul Saphier, a neurosurgeon and founder of Coaxial Neurosurgical Specialists in New Jersey, said Foxx’s experience was no joke.

In a conversation with Fox News Digital, Saphier shared the dangers of cerebral hemorrhage or hemorrhagic strokes, which account for 10 to 15% of all strokes.

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Around 70,000 to 80,000 patients in the USA are affected by the disease every year.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a cerebral hemorrhage causes blood to pool between the brain and skull, preventing oxygen from reaching the brain.

A cerebral hemorrhage or hemorrhagic stroke can occur for a variety of reasons and can be fatal. (iStock)

The first symptom of a cerebral hemorrhage is a sudden, severe headache, but nausea and vomiting, confusion, dizziness, slurred speech, sleepiness, and lack of energy may also occur.

Possible causes of a brain hemorrhage include head trauma, blood clots, a weak spot in a blood vessel, a brain tumor and other abnormal events, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

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They can also occur due to problems related to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, alcohol abuse and age, Saphier explained.

“These bleeding may also be related to blood vessel problems such as brain aneurysms and vascular malformations,” he added.

According to experts, the first symptom of a brain hemorrhage is typically a sudden, severe headache. (iStock)

Because brain bleeding and heart health go hand in hand, Saphier promotes heart-healthy lifestyles as a way to reduce the risk.

“For patients with a strong family history of intracranial hemorrhage, the American Heart (Association) and the American Stroke Association recommend screening for brain aneurysms and vascular malformations for early detection and prevention,” the doctor noted.

Prompt treatment is essential

According to Saphier, nearly 45% of patients with a “spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage,” or cerebral hemorrhage, do not survive.

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Reportedly, approximately two-thirds of these survivors do not return to their “pre-hemorrhagic stroke baseline.”

If a brain hemorrhage is not treated quickly, it can cause permanent damage, including memory loss, difficulty swallowing and speaking, coordination problems, numbness or weakness in body parts, vision loss and emotional changes, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

“All lifestyle activities that are considered heart-healthy are also healthy for the brain and its blood vessels,” one doctor noted. (iStock)

To reduce the risk of a brain hemorrhage, the Cleveland Clinic recommends controlling blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.

“A general principle I tell my patients is that any type of lifestyle that is considered heart-healthy is also healthy for the brain and its blood vessels,” Saphier advised.

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“If someone has a family history of severe brain aneurysms or (intracranial) bleeding, they should discuss this with a primary care physician as they may be a candidate for brain aneurysm screening and prevention,” he added.

Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Giang-Paunon contributed to this report.