Jamie Foxx reveals he had a stroke and lost 20 days of memory

Actor Jamie Foxx has shared the truth about a “medical complication” that saw him rushed to hospital during filming.

Jamie Foxx has revealed the truth about a mystery “medical complication” that saw him admitted to hospital last year, explaining he suffered a stroke.

The Ray and Django Unchained star, 56, was rushed to emergency at Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital in April 2023 after having a bad headache that turned out to be a brain bleed.

The actor and comedian spoke out about the terrifying experience in an emotional scene in his Netflix stand-up special Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was …

“I asked my boy for an Aspirin,” he said.

“I realised quickly that when you’re in a medical emergency, your boys don’t know what the f**k to do.”

Jamie Foxx shed tears in an emotional section of his new Netflix stand-up special. Picture: Supplied

Concerns about Foxx’s health arose when his daughter, Corinne, shared a public statement on behalf of the family on social media, explaining he experienced a “medical complication” while he was working on a new comedy/action movie in Georgia.

“Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers.”

Foxx said the cause of the bleed is still a mystery, but declared through tears that he is back, telling the applauding audience: “You don’t know how good this feels.”

“Your life doesn’t flash before you. It was kind of oddly peaceful. I saw the tunnel, but I didn’t see the light. It was hot in that tunnel,” he continued.

“S**t, Am I going to the wrong place?”

Jamie Foxx makes his first public appearance since the stroke at an awards gala in Los Angeles, saying he had “been through some things”. Picture: AFP

Jamie Foxx: What Had happened Was … is one of a string of projects the actor and comedian has been working on during his recovery. Picture: Supplied

The Oscar winner said his sister Deirdra with saving his life, saying she was the one who rushed him to hospital so he doctors could stop the bleed.

Foxx also explained why he and his family chose to keep the situation private at the time.

“I was dizzy from the stroke, so my head would bob around, and my family thought eveyrone would meme the f**k out of me,” he quipped.

In the special, he said he remembers waking up from his coma in May, about three weeks after the stroke, and finding himself in a wheelchair, unable to walk.

Foxx, who is Baptist, attributed the incident to a higher cause.

“God blessed me with money and fame, but when I forgot about God, he blessed me with a stroke,” he told the audience, saying his therapist had been talking to him about his ego.

Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz star in Netflix film, Back in Action. Picture: Supplied

The Netflix show marks the first time Foxx has taken to the stage in 18 years and he said his heart was filled with “pure joy” after the show, which was filmed over three nights in Atlanta.

“I needed the stage and I needed an audience,” he posted on Instagram.

“When people ask me is this a stand-up comedy show I say, ‘No, it’s an artistic explanation of something that went terribly wrong’.”

The movie he was working on at the time of the stroke was a spy thriller called Back in Action, which also stars Cameron Diaz in her first on-screen appearance in 11 years.

It tells the story of two former CIA spies, Matt and Emily, who are pulled back into service after their secret identities are exposed and is set to premiere on Netflix in 2025.

Originally published as Jamie Foxx reveals he had a stroke and lost 20 days of memory