Jamie Foxx Announces Dates for Stand-Up Show About His Medical Emergency, Set to Stream on Netflix
Jamie Foxx is ready to tell all about the medical emergency that left him hospitalized and fighting for his life last year — in a special that will be taped for Netflix.
In April 2023, the Oscar and Grammy winner was sidelined by a sudden, serious medical complication and hospitalized in Atlanta. No official cause has been disclosed, though Foxx has alluded to the severity of his condition in the months since. Most recently, Foxx revealed (via Art of Dialogue) that it started with a “bad headache,” but then he was “gone for 20 days” and woke up with no memory of what happened.
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Earlier this year, while being honored by the African American Film Critics Association, Foxx revealed that he would finally tell the world what happened to him, but he planned to “do it in a funny way.”
“We’re gonna get back to the stand-up sort of roots,” Foxx explained, revealing that the show would be titled “What Had Happened Was” and would delve into the details of his health scare, as well as the outpouring of well-wishes (and online rumors) that followed his hospitalization. It was later reported (via Bloomberg) that Netflix won the rights to Foxx’s special in a competitive situation.
On Monday, Foxx shared more details about the one-man show via Instagram, where he teased a three-night engagement set for October 3-5 in Atlanta.
“Join us for an unforgettable one-man show as Jamie Foxx takes the stage to share his journey through a serious health scare, filled with humor, heart, and inspiration!” the caption to the post reads. “Experience Jamie Foxx like never before in this intimate and engaging performance, as he opens up about his struggles, triumphs, and everything in between. Get ready for a night of laughter, reflection, and genuine connection.”
Foxx’s social media announcement comes following news that “Back in Action,” the Netflix action comedy he was filming at the time of the emergency, will begin streaming on January 17. In the film, Foxx and Cameron Diaz (who reunite after co-starring in “Any Given Sunday” and “Annie”) play Matt and Emily, former CIA agents who gave up the world of espionage to start a family, but get dragged back in when their cover gets blown. Amid Foxx’s hospitalization, production on the movie was halted, then resumed with the actor returning to work the following January. The actor was also temporarily replaced as the host of the Fox game show “Beat Shazam” while he recovered from the emergency.
Foxx’s condition was kept a closely guarded secret in adherence to his family’s calls for privacy. Foxx’s daughter, Corrine, announced her dad’s hospitalization on Instagram in a post published April 12, 2023. “We wanted to share that my father Jamie Foxx experienced a medical complication yesterday. 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,” she wrote at the time.
In July, Foxx shared an emotional video message addressing the severity of the situation.
“I went through something I thought I would never, ever go through,” Foxx shared on social media last summer. “I know a lot of people were waiting or wanting to hear updates, but to be honest with you, I just didn’t want you to see me like that. I want you to see me laughing, having a good time, partying, cracking a joke, doing a movie, television show. I didn’t want you to see me with tubes running out of me, and trying to figure if I was gonna make it through.”
He continued: “I went to hell and back. And my road to recovery had some potholes as well. But I’m coming back and I’m able to work. So I want to thank the people who let me work. I just want to say that I love everybody and I love all the love that I got.”
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