Comedian about mysterious illness, fan support

For Jamie Foxx, laughter may be the best medicine after all.

The multi-entertainer, who was hospitalized last April due to a mysterious illness, caused concern. He spoke about the health disaster in his Netflix comedy special “Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…”, released Tuesday.

“If I can stay funny, I can stay alive,” Foxx, 56, quipped during the hour-long special.

On the comedy show, which follows a series of one-man performances by Foxx in October, the Golden Globe-nominated comedian also thanked his fans for their support during his recovery.

“You have no idea how good this feels,” a visibly emotional Foxx told the audience in Atlanta (he was hospitalized in the Georgia city). “I fought for my life, but I stand here in front of you.”

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Foxx also thanked fans in a “personal thank you video” ahead of the special’s release. In the video shared to Foxx’s Instagram page, the comedian thanked Netflix for “giving me a platform to entertain and inform at the same time,” adding in the caption, “I hope.” , the jokes make you laugh. “I hope the story inspires you.”

“What Had Happened Was” marks Foxx’s first major solo release of 2024. He co-produced and guest starred in the Luther Vandross documentary “Luther: Never Too Much,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. He also had a role in the Johnny Mack-directed comedy “Not Another Church Movie,” which was released in theaters in May.

Foxx’s spirited performance in the special has already earned him a Globes nomination for best stand-up comedy special, joining fellow comedians Adam Sandler, Seth Meyers, Ali Wong and others.

What happened to Jamie Foxx?

In April 2023, Foxx’s family announced in a statement on Foxx’s daughter Corinne’s Instagram that the actor and comedian had suffered a “medical complication.” No details regarding Foxx’s condition have been released at this time.

Three months later, Foxx personally updated his fans on his health in an Instagram video, although details about his illness were scant.

“I went through something I thought I would never experience,” Foxx said at the time. “I know a lot of people were waiting and wanted to hear updates, but to be honest, I just didn’t want you to see me… with tubes coming out of me and trying to figure out if I could get there.” .

Read more:Jamie Foxx’s family reveals ‘medical complications’

Jamie Foxx reveals the cause of the mysterious illness in the Netflix special

Foxx said in his Netflix special that his health scare began on April 11, 2023, when he suffered from “severe headaches.” The comedian said he lost consciousness shortly after asking for an aspirin to treat his headache. “I don’t remember 20 days,” he added.

During this comatose phase, Foxx was taken to a doctor, who gave him a cortisone shot and sent him home. Foxx’s younger sister Deidra Dixon, still concerned about the “Django Unchained” star’s condition, took him to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta for further evaluation.

Upon seeing Foxx, a doctor in Piedmont told Dixon that Foxx had suffered a stroke caused by a brain hemorrhage. The exact cause of the stroke could not be determined.

“It’s a mystery,” Foxx mused. “We still don’t know exactly what happened to me. All I can tell you is that I appreciate every prayer because I needed every prayer.”

Jamie Foxx reveals in a Netflix special that he was no longer able to walk after suffering a stroke

Foxx said he woke up from his stroke coma in May 2023. The “Blame It” rapper said he subsequently ended up in a wheelchair and was told he couldn’t walk anymore.

The loss of mobility left Foxx in a state of disbelief. “I don’t get strokes,” a tearful Foxx recalled saying to himself. “This is an old man. … Stop this (expletive) prank.”

Despite the severity of his condition, Foxx said he used comedy to cope with his failing health. Throughout the special, the comedian poked fun at the unpleasant aspects of recovery, from full-body baths to grueling physical therapy, with irreverent charm.

“I lost everything, but the only thing I kept was my sense of humor,” Foxx said. “I couldn’t necessarily walk that well, I couldn’t talk that well, but I didn’t let go of my wit. … I was always joking around, to the point where the nurses thought I was really losing my mind.

Jamie Foxx opens up about recovering from mysterious illness

In an August 2023 Instagram post, Foxx alluded to his recovery with several photos that showed him standing in the entrance of an exotic eatery wearing sunglasses and a crocheted bucket hat. “I finally feel like myself,” Foxx wrote. “It’s been an unexpected dark journey… But I can see the light…”

Jamie Foxx talks health:Actor reveals new details about mysterious medical emergency in 2023

Foxx made his first major public appearance after his hospitalization in December 2023 at the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema & Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements, where he received the Vanguard Award.

In his remarks, Foxx celebrated his recovery progress by admitting he couldn’t walk six months prior. “It feels good to be here. I appreciate every single minute now. It’s different,” he said. “I wouldn’t wish what I went through on my worst enemy because it’s hard when it’s almost over.”

Jamie Foxx tells his “side of the story” in stand-up comedy shows

In October, Foxx performed a series of solo shows in Atlanta discussing his medical emergency in 2023. In a later Instagram post, he shared a gallery of photos from his performance, one of which showed him seemingly wiping away tears, and wrote that his “soul was filled with nothing but pure joy.”

“I had the opportunity to tell my side of the story and there was no better place than Atlanta, Georgia,” Foxx wrote in the Oct. 14 post. “I have to thank you, Atlanta, for showing up and showing yourself. I haven’t been on stage in 18 years, but I needed the stage and I needed an audience that was nothing but pure love, and that was you.”

“Pure joy”:Jamie Foxx returns to the stage after health problems

Gayle King attended one of Foxx’s shows and spoke to him backstage in a video she shared on Instagram. The comedian told her that it was “excruciating” to open his “wounds” and noted that he was worried when he got on stage because he wasn’t sure what the audience would be laughing about.

Foxx also confirmed that the show was recorded, and King said in her video caption that it was a Netflix special.

This story has been updated to add new information.

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Comedian about mysterious illness, fan support

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