Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx thanked his family, God and fans for getting him through a recent health scare that started in April. Foxx broke his silence about the scare last week on Instagram, saying he had been to “hell and back.”
“First of all, I want to say thank you to everybody that’s prayed, man, and sent me messages,” Foxx said in a video he posted Friday, July 21. “I cannot even begin to tell you how far it took me and how it brought me back. I went through something that I thought I would never, ever go through.”
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Jamie Foxx: ‘I’m Coming Back’
Jamie Foxx, who was raised Baptist, is a singer, comedian and actor who is known for his roles in “Ray,” “Django Unchained,” and “Just Mercy.” He won an Academy Award for his portrayal of singer Ray Charles in “Ray” and was nominated that same year for another Academy Award for his part in “Collateral.” While it is not clear how active Foxx is with his faith, he told actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt in an interview that “Jesus is the foundation.”
On the evening of April 12, Foxx’s daughter, Corinne, shared that her father had “experienced a medical complication,” but was “already on his way to recovery.” She said, “We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time.” TMZ reported at the time that the incident was serious enough that Foxx was hospitalized.
Foxx didn’t post on Instagram again until May 3 when he simply said, “Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed.” Several posts from the actor after that promoting an upcoming movie and celebrating his niece’s birthday drew indignation from some fans who wanted an update on his health and suggested there were shady reasons for why Foxx had not yet given one.
“I know a lot of people were waiting, you know, or wanting to hear updates,” said Foxx in his Friday video. “But to be honest with you, I just didn’t want you to see me like that, man. You know, 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 out if I was going to make it through.”
Foxx said that his sister, Deidra Dixon, and daughter Corinne, “saved my life. To them, to God, to a lot of great medical people, I’m able to leave you this video.” The actor expressed gratitude to his family, who “protected” him, keeping quiet about what was going on. He also dispelled rumors that he was blind, paralyzed, or even cloned, a reference not only to rumors people were spreading but also to his new movie, “They Cloned Tyrone.”
“I went to hell and back, and my road to recovery had some potholes as well,” said Foxx, “but I’m coming back and I’m able to work. So I want to thank the people that let me work. And I just want to say that I love everybody and I love all the love that I got.”
