Jamie Foxx has opened up about the mysterious health scare that left him hospitalized last year in his Netflix stand-up special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was.
The actor, 56, told audience members at a taping for the special that he suffered “a near-death experience” and fell into a weeks-long “coma.” Demecos Chambers, who attended a taping of the special in Atlanta last October, told CNN that Foxx had revealed his diagnosis and discussed his recovery in the one-man show.
“He said it was a near-death experience,” Chambers recalled. “He spoke about waking up in the hospital. He thought he just passed out for a second, but it was two or three weeks. He was in a stone-cold coma.”
The fan claimed Foxx told the audience that he was unconscious for so long that when he woke up in the hospital, he had grown a beard. Meanwhile, Chambers explained to People that Foxx’s collapse in April 2023 was due to “just pure exhaustion.”
“His body was just exhausted due to him getting up there in age, and his body just faltering out on him,” he recounted Foxx sharing onstage. Chambers claimed the Oscar winner “passed out in an elevator and he thought he woke up a couple hours later,” only to discover a few weeks later that he had been in a coma.
Foxx later “went to a rehab facility and he talked about how his motor skills he had to start from day one,” Chambers told People.
Audience members were reportedly required to seal their phones in pouches during the performance, but weren’t asked to sign a release following the show.
The Independent has contacted Netflix for comment. According to CNN, the streaming platform has decided not to send advance screeners to the press, and Foxx will also not be doing any interviews before the special premieres on Tuesday, December 10.
The Django Unchained star was hospitalized in April 2023 for an unspecified “medical complication.” At the time, details about Foxx’s illness remained undisclosed, which prompted many to make several conspiracy theories that his representatives were forced to debunk.
Now, in a first trailer for What Had Happened Was released on Thursday, Foxx is purported to “set the record straight” about his condition.
A description for the stand-up special reads: “Amidst laughter and applause, Jamie expresses deep gratitude to those who prayed and supported his recovery, turning this performance into a touching thank-you to his fans.”
“This comedy event is a celebration of resilience, humour and the power of community, reminding us all of the healing power of laughter.”
Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was hits Netflix on Tuesday, December 10.
