Jamie Foxx revealed what everyone had been wondering about in a new Netflix special: the real reason that left him hospitalized last year and unable to remember the almost 30-days from April to May 2023.
Foxx, 56, explained in his Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, which was released on Dec. 10, that he suffered “a brain bleed that led to a stroke.”
The news of Foxx’s “mystery illness,” as he referred to it in the special, broke in April 2023, when his daughter Corinne Foxx shared a statement announcing her father had been hospitalized after experiencing a “medical complication.”
Back on May 4, he remembers waking up in a wheelchair and not being able to walk, and reacting in shock when his friend told him he’d had a stroke.
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“Jamie Foxx don’t get strokes,” the actor remembered saying.
He was then flown to Chicago for rehab. It was there that more rumors started to circulate about his health being worse than many initially imagined. But that was also the time that Jamie started to make a full recovery.
The actor, comedian, host, and singer was hospitalized in April 2023 after having a then-undisclosed health crisis while filming a Netflix film in Atlanta.
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At the time of his hospitalization, his daughter Corinne Foxx said on social media that her father had suffered a “medical complication,” but those close to him largely stayed tight-lipped about the actor’s condition, in keeping with his penchant for privacy.
In his Netflix comedy special, Jamie is not only funny, but he gets emotional and real.
“I was fighting for my life,” Foxx said. “April 11, I was having a bad headache, and I asked my boy for an aspirin … before I could get the aspirin … I went out. I don’t remember 20 days.”
Foxx received surgery to respond to the brain bleed that led to a stroke.
Foxx’s doctor at Piedmont Hospital reportedly declared, “If I don’t go in his head right now, we’re going to lose him.”
What Happened When His Brain Started Bleeding?
A brain bleed stroke, also known as a hemorrhagic stroke, occurs when a blood vessel in or around the brain ruptures and bleeds into the brain:
What happens
A blood vessel breaks and bleeds into the brain, damaging brain cells and causing loss of function
Symptoms
Sudden headache, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, vision changes, confusion, trouble speaking, dizziness, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting, and more
Causes
High blood pressure, a ruptured aneurysm, or an arteriovenous malformation (AVM)
Treatment
Immediate emergency care to control bleeding and reduce pressure, medications to reduce blood pressure or slow bleeding, and supportive care like IV fluids and rest
Risk
Associated with high mortality and severe morbidity. The risk of death is 10–15% per bleed, and the risk of permanent brain damage is 20–30%.
Early diagnosis and treatment are essential because hemorrhages can expand rapidly, leading to a sudden decline in consciousness and neurological function.
Can it Happen to Jamie Again?
Stroke is serious business. Even after surviving a stroke, you’re not out of the woods, since having one makes it a lot more likely that you’ll have another.
Every stroke after an initial stroke is a recurrent stroke. According to a 2017 paper, recurrent strokes comprise almost a quarter of the 800,000 strokes that occur annually in the United States.
Recurrent stroke symptoms
Recurrent stroke symptoms may be the same as a person’s first stroke or very different. Some stroke symptoms that warrant prompt emergency care include:
- numbness or weakness that comes on suddenly, especially if it only affects one side of the body
- drooping face, especially on just one side
- sudden confusion
- trouble speaking or making decisions
- a sudden, severe headache that may differ from a person’s usual headache pattern
- dizziness, lack of balance, low coordination, or trouble walking
- difficulty seeing
Are recurrent strokes worse?
Every stroke has the potential to damage the brain, and multiple strokes may mean more extensive damage and disability.
A 2021 study that compared 40 people who had their first stroke to 40 people who had their second stroke — their first recurrent stroke — found a more extensive disability following a second stroke. Researchers found that second strokes were more dangerous overall, causing more serious symptoms.
Mortality rates are higher after a recurrent stroke. A 2022 study of people in Denmark, who experienced strokes, looked at all-cause mortality at 1 and 10 years. This means researchers looked at people who died of any cause, including causes unrelated to a stroke.
They found that first-time ischemic stroke survivors had a 1-year mortality rate of 17% and a 10-year mortality rate of 56%. After a recurrent ischemic stroke, the 1-year mortality rate increased to 25% and the 10-year mortality rate increased to 70%.
After a hemorrhagic stroke, the 1-year mortality rate was 37%, and the 10-year mortality rate was 70%. For a recurrent hemorrhagic stroke, the 1- and 10-year mortality rates were 31% and 75%, respectively.
What’s Happening to Jamie Now?
It seems as though Jamie continues to move back into the Hollywood spotlight with ease.
Netflix hosted Strong Black Legends at Mr. Chow, an evening celebrating Jamie Foxx’s remarkable career, recovery journey, and the release of his new special. The event drew an array of Hollywood heavyweights, close friends, and family to honor the Golden Globe-nominated entertainer.
Foxx, recognized for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television, was toasted for his health, enduring impact in entertainment, and exciting future.
Notable attendees included Anthony Anderson, Jay Pharoah, Loretta Devine, Vivica A. Fox, Halle Bailey, Jonathan Majors, Naomi Osaka, Cordae, Meagan Good, and more. The celebration highlighted Foxx’s resilience and contributions, reinforcing his position as an industry legend.
