Jamie Foxx opens up about his mysterious and widely talked about illness and hospitalization in his Netflix stand-up comedy specialJamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, which premiered in December 2024. According toTODAY, Foxx’s daughter, Corinne Foxx, announced that her father was in severe condition in April 2023. At the time, sheattributed Foxx’s hospitalization to a “medical complication"but never went into further detail about why he was there. It was so serious, though, that the actor’s family traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to visit him.
At the time of Jamie Foxx’s hospitalization, he was in the midst of filming the Netflix action comedy movieBack in Action, which also stars Cameron Diaz and premiered on July 05, 2025.
Foxx was later released from the hospital and was said to be recovering from his mystery ailment. A few months later,Foxx addressed his medical emergencyin anInstagramvideo. He said, “I’m not paralyzed, but I went to hell and back, and my road to recovery had some potholes as well.” Foxx explained that he was keeping the circumstances behind his illness mostly hidden because he didn’t want the world to see him in that condition, with “tubes running out of” him. However,Foxx finally revealed more details behind his hospitalizationduring his 2024 Netflix stand-up comedy specialJamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…
Jamie Foxx Suffered A Brain Bleed That Resulted In A Stroke
He Was Hospitalized In 2023
DuringJamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, the actor/comedian/singer explained why he was in the hospital in April 2023.Foxx said that he suffered “a brain bleed that led to a stroke.“On April 11, Foxx got a terrible headache and took some aspirin. A doctor later gave him a cortisone shot to treat the headache and sent him home, but it never got better. Foxx’s sister, Diedra Dixon, had a bad feeling about the situation, so, she brought her brother to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. When they got there,a doctor determined Foxx needed emergency brain surgery.
Foxx’s first memories of the situation come from early May, and he was shocked to find himself in a wheelchair, unable to walk.
According to Foxx, the doctor told Dixon that her sibling “may be able to make a full recovery, but it’s going to be the worst year of his life.“There was also the fear that Foxx could die from the stroke.Fortunately, Foxx made it out of the surgery alive. However, he would go on to forget the next 20 days, and for the first 15 days, Foxx’s condition was “touch and go.”
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When Foxx’s daughter, Anelise Bishop, started playing guitar in his hospital room, though, his vitals began to stabilize and his family’s worst fears were negated. Foxx’s first memories of the situation come from early May, and he was shocked to find himself in a wheelchair, unable to walk. Soon after,Foxx released his first statement after his medical emergencyand thenleft the hospital to start rehab, determined to make a full recovery.
Jamie Foxx Has Fully Recovered & Returned To Acting Since His Medical Emergency
Foxx Attended Rehab
Jamie Foxx flew straight from Atlanta to Chicago, Illinois, to begin his rehabilitation journeyin May 2023. He had to learn how to walk again, working with a physical therapist and a psychiatrist. By August, Foxx started to truly feel better and more like himself, but he wouldn’t return to work until the next year.
Foxx resumed filming his spy movieBack in Actionalongside Cameron Diazin January 2024, picking up where he left off in April 2023. A few months later, Foxx returned to hostingBeat Shazam. He has since worked on various projects, one of which wasJamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, which he filmed in October 2024and was released in December of the same year.
Jamie Foxx’s Upcoming Movies
Foxx Stars In All-Star Weekend & Tin Soldier
Aside fromBack in ActionandJamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was,Jamie Foxx has some moviesin the works. However, they were filmed before the actor’s stroke in April 2023. So, as for what Foxx has planned following his recovery, the actor is either keeping his schedule open or he has secret projects that haven’t been announced as of the writing of this article.
Malik (also director, writer, and producer)
2025
Bokushi
TBA
Foxx’s first movie afterBack in Actionwill beAll-Star Weekend.He stars as Malik, a truck driver and a huge Lebron James fan, alongside Jeremy Piven’s Danny, who is also a truck driver but loves Steph Curry. In addition to playing one of the lead characters, Foxx directed, wrote, and produced the sports comedy drama. He is also set to play Bokushi inTin Soldier, an action thriller starring Robert De Niro.
Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…
Cast
Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… is a performance film capturing Jamie Foxx over three nights in October 2024 in Atlanta. The film offers an intimate look at Foxx’s personal journey, as he shares his struggles and triumphs through a blend of humor and reflection.
