June 10, 2025
‘I say this all the time, thank you to Black people and the Black award, because this is what really counts. A lot of people think like the Oscars is the biggest thing, and we got to quit thinking like that.’
After surviving a life-threatening hospital stay a little over two years ago, comedian Jamie Foxx tearfully acknowledged his second chance in life and thanked Black people while accepting the 2025 BET Ultimate Icon Award on June 9.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the multitalented entertainer, in accepting his award, tearfully broke down and stated that he’s not gonna “turn down” his second chance after being in a coma from a health scare suffered in 2023. In April 2023, his daughter, Corinne Foxx, revealed to the world that her father had a “medical complication” that sent the Hollywood star to the hospital.
“I cannot even begin to express the love that I feel from everybody out there,” Foxx told the crowd at the awards show. “I gotta be honest, when I saw the In Memoriam, I was like, man, it could have been me. I don’t know why I went through what I went through, but I know my second chance, I’m not gonna turn down.”
He thanked Black people for their prayers and the support during his health issues, expressing that when he was able to perform a stand-up concert, he made sure it was in front of a Black audience.
“And I’m gonna do right in front of y’all ’cause I know a lot of times when we get on, we forget about where we come from. When I did my special, it was in front of Black people. Black people were the ones that said, ‘Man, we got you.’ Not to say that white people can’t pray either. I know that sounds weird, but y’all know what I’m saying. It’s like you guys held me down, and I don’t want to make this whole speech about that, but you can’t go through something like that and not testify.”
Foxx also acknowledged that the BET Awards were a bigger prize than the Oscar he received previously.
“I say this all the time, thank you to Black people and the Black award, because this is what really counts. A lot of people think like the Oscars is the biggest thing, and we got to quit thinking like that. And that’s coming from a person who won an Oscar, I was nominated twice, but the Icon Award is the most important award because it comes from us.”
Jamie Foxx thanks the Black community for the Ultimate Icon award and says the #BETAwards honor means more to him than the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/FjTVkUovri
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 10, 2025
The 25th BET Awards were held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
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