Jamie Foxx has made a career out of making people laugh—but on May 29, standing next to his daughter Corinne Foxx, he let his tears do the talking.
During Netflix’s FYSEE LA event, the 57-year-old entertainer showed a side of himself that fans rarely get to see: a father overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion after surviving a terrifying health crisis. Speaking with Corinne, 31, in a Q&A session, Foxx gave attendees an unfiltered glimpse into how close he came to death, and how the love of his daughter helped him find his way back.
“I said one day I was gonna stop crying,” he said to his daughter, per People magazine. “But I got a feeling I’ll never stop crying, because you were special.”
In April 2023, Foxx suffered a brain bleed that led to a life-threatening stroke while filming “Back in Action.” He spent 20 days unconscious, waking up in a hospital wheelchair with no memory of what had happened. What he did remember, though, was who had stayed by his side.
Foxx dives deeper into his medical journey in his new Netflix comedy special, “Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was.”
“Your life doesn’t flash before your face. It was kind of oddly peaceful,” Foxx shares in the special. “I saw the tunnel. I didn’t see the light. I was in that tunnel, though. It was hot in that tunnel. S***, am I going to the wrong place in this motherf****? Because I looked at the end of the tunnel, and I thought I saw the devil, like, ‘Come on.’ “
And while Foxx was cracking jokes on stage, he also made sure to give love to the team of health care professionals at Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital. He remembers one nurse calling him “a miracle,” telling him that “less than 3% of people that come in with what you had leave here. We usually put ’em in a box. But when I saw that it was you, I rolled my sleeves up – That’s Jamie Fox in there.’”
In the midst of recovery, humor helped. But family healed, especially Corinne, who he says “held him down.” Now, with his health restored, Foxx says he’s more focused on the future than the past.
“I’m just glad God gave me the opportunity to get back,” he told his daughter. “So I could see what you’re going to do because you’re going to shock the world.”
