“I’m back!” Jamie Foxx screams in tears at the start of his new Netflix comedy special What happened was…

This isn’t exactly a novel opening from someone whose last comedy special was over two decades ago (the 2002 musical special). I may need security), but coming from Foxx, the instruction is loaded. In April 2023, he became a fixture of celebrity conspiracy rumors when he was hospitalized due to a “medical complication” while filming his Netflix film Back in action in Atlanta. Depending on who you’ve talked to in the last year, the reason could have been anything from near death to actually Death from an unsuccessful blow from someone trying to silence him. In the special he reveals for the first time what actually happened: he suffered a stroke.

If there were any concerns What happened was… The title should be a Trojan horse, enticing us with the promise of a full story before baiting us in favor of an observational comedy about seatbelts, but it is immediately dispelled. The special begins with a carousel of news and conspiracy videos from the time of his hospital stay, before Foxx triumphantly takes the stage and announces, “I’m lucky to be alive.”

“You have no idea how good it feels, Atlanta!” he says. “I fought for my life, but I stand here before you.” The special, equal parts explanation, stand-up routine and worship session, is Foxx’s love letter to Atlanta, the city he says that she saved his life.

In 2023, the mystery surrounding Foxx’s illness simmered in full swing for months, with online blogs, right-wing conspiracy theorists and pop culture engagement farmers voicing their opinions. And that’s despite his daughter Corinne, who opened the special with an introduction to her father and confirmed that he was fine. Some thought his condition was much worse than they had been led to believe, and there were rumors that he was in a coma or suffering from massive disabilities. Others went a step further and claimed that he had actually died and that the family had kept the news secret from the public. Anti-vax activists seized on the news and claimed his condition was due to the effects of the Covid vaccine. And another particularly scandalous, baseless theory, that Foxx was poisoned by Sean “Diddy” Combs after he was allegedly caught filming Combs’ illegal behavior (Combs is currently facing sex trafficking charges), quickly gained traction.

“They said on the internet that Puffy tried to kill me. Hell no, I left these parties early. Something doesn’t look right, it’s slippery in here,” he jokes, in the first but definitely not last dig at P Diddy in his routine.

During the hour-long set, Foxx is deeply honest about the last year of his life. Up until that point, he and his family had kept the details of his condition secret, revealing only small details. In July 2023, Foxx broke his silence for the first time, telling his followers on Instagram, “I know a lot of people have been waiting or wanted to hear updates, but to be honest, I just didn’t want you to see me like that.” He continued, “I didn’t want you to see me with tubes coming out of me trying to figure out if I could make it.”

He said he wanted to be seen dancing and laughing on stage, and that’s exactly what he did What happened was…. He starts dancing and jokes with the audience about how well he can move, which becomes even more impressive when he describes the severity of his medical problems.

About the stroke he says: “It’s a mystery, we still don’t know exactly what happened to me.” He explains that he suffered from severe headaches before he passed out. “I don’t remember 20 days,” he says as he puts together the schedule for the audience and himself. “He may make a full recovery, but it will be the worst year of his life,” he says the doctor told the family about his massive brain hemorrhage. “That’s it, Atlanta. You finally got the whole story.”

As with most conspiracies online, the truth is often far less interesting than the most outlandish theories. But less interesting doesn’t mean less effective, as Foxx imbues with solemn reverence the emotional turmoil that comes from learning to stand, walk and clean yourself again. What’s special is, above all, a journey back to his faith in God, which he shares like a passionate priest on a mountain. He sings worship songs and shares his struggles with God on his journey to the light, whether he deserved this pain, and tells the enthusiastic crowd that God, through his family and doctors, has made sure he gets well.

In a particularly emotional moment, Foxx brings out his youngest daughter, Annelise, who he says saved him from death by playing guitar for him in his hospital room. She says she’s always wanted the chance to perform together, and as she plays her song, Foxx breaks down in tears and clutches her shoulders.

What happened was… is less a comedy special and more a celebration of life. In the funniest moments, such as a segment in which Foxx relays an interaction with Halle Berry during his physical recovery, and a segment in which he impersonates the likes of Denzel Washington and Katt Williams, Foxx’s comic timing is such clever enough to make you forget that he doesn’t have a stand– He’s established himself over two decades while busy with an acting career that ranges from his Oscar-winning role as Ray Charles to the… Spider-Man franchise – not to mention winning a Grammy as an R&B singer. But for the most part, the special’s humor comes from the way Foxx processes his pain, which he will certainly never diminish or disregard. “I never lost my sense of humor,” he says of suppressing his pride when it came to recovery. His battle cry that defines the set: “If I can stay funny, I can stay alive.”

In the special’s final, triumphant moments, Foxx takes the boldest conspiracy about him – that he is actually a clone who has replaced the old Jamie Foxx – and turns it into a celebration of himself. “There’s not enough clone juice in the world, “To clone me,” he shouts into the crowd. “I’m not cloneable,” he says, running through a series of his most famous roles from the year In living color To Django Unchained To Ray. It culminates in a euphoric performance of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger,” a track he originally featured on and which he successfully rebrands as the ultimate worship song.

The last thing Foxx says before leaving the stage is “Thank you.” He thanks his family, his doctors, his caregivers, the hospital, his audience and God. He even thanks the people on the internet who spread lies about him, but not before jokingly saying “screw you.” He sings, dances, and takes it all in in a moment of quiet gratitude as he processes that he can finally share what happened.