When news broke that Jamie Foxx was hospitalized for a “medical complication” in 2023, there was a lot of uncertainty and it was a very scary situation. While an insider said he allegedly kept mum about his condition at the time to avoid anyone seeing him in a “fragile” state, the Oscar winner recently told all in his Netflix special Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… which hit the streamer's No. 3 TV spot the week it came out. Now, the actor has opened up about how his daughters supported him during this horrifying time and how it impacted his Netflix special.
After being out of the stand-up game for a long time, Jamie Foxx returned to his comedy roots with the Netflix special What Had Happened Was… where he set the record straight about experiencing a brain bleed that led to a stroke. It turns out Jamie’s first symptoms began with a bad headache during the filming of Netflix’s Back in Action, and he woke up in a hospital after being “gone for 20 days.”
The Ray actor was seemingly in good health at the Golden Globes red carpet event where he was nominated for his comedy special. And he made sure to mention how his daughters, Corinne Marie and Anelise Estelle, were there for him during his health scare while speaking with ET:
They are a hundred thousand percent, a million – billion percent pure love, and when I needed them the most – they made sure I’m standing upright and being able to have this moment with you.
That’s the sweetest thing to hear from a proud father. I love that he took the time to show appreciation for them and explain how much they helped him heal.
We didn't see every way his kids helped him, seeing as they kept this matter very private. However, at one point, for example, Corinne Foxx did set the record straight about her dad's condition and confirmed that he was out of the hospital for weeks and playing pickleball.
Even though Jamie Foxx’s Netflix special was hilarious, there were still some touching, emotional moments the Grammy winner conveyed about his stroke and his daughters being there for him. He also told ET that his two girls influenced the direction of his comedy special and the story he wanted to tell, explaining:
The whole special – when I talked to my comedian friends, I said, what I went through, I can’t come out there and say, ‘Knock knock, who’s there?’ It’s different. And to be able to lean on Netflix and Netflix give me an opportunity to tell the story in a way, to acknowledge my daughters and what they did when their dad was in a precarious situation, I cannot explain how great it feels.
Corinne and Anelise certainly played big roles in Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… too.
Corinne started the special with a moving introduction that set the tone for the Netflix show’s exploration of her father’s health journey. Meanwhile, Anelise showed off her musical ability by playing her guitar on the stage right next to her dad.
In the special, the White House Down actor said his 16-year-old would bring her guitar to the hospital and play for him with the music working wonders on his vitals. Honestly, I couldn't help but feel all kinds of emotions watching him in the Golden Globe-nominated special cherishing the love his daughters gave him and giving it right back to them.
If there’s anything that made a health scare more bearable to Jamie Foxx, it was having his daughters by his side. By having Corinne and Anelise be part of his Netflix special, the comedian highlighted the immense support he received from them and the crucial role they played in his recovery. As he has reportedly flipped his life around after his medical issues, I’m sure that means his career, family, and good health will forever remain a priority to him.
To see the humor and emotion Jamie Foxx brings to What Had Happened Was… you can stream it with a Netflix subscription. You can also add his 2025 Netflix movie Back in Action to your watchlist, as it hits the streamer on January 17.
