Jamie Foxx’s First Onstage Appearance Since Health Crisis Will Make You Cry
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 10: Jamie Foxx attends the World Premiere of Netflix's "Day Shift" at Regal LA Live on August 10, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Jamie Foxx is opening up about the raw moment he realized he would be okay amid his mysterious health crisis earlier this year, and his retelling is guaranteed to leave you in tears.
During his first official public appearance since his hospitalization in April, the Django Unchained actor was honored with the Vanguard Award at the Critics Choice Association's Celebration of Cinema & Television on Monday, Dec. 4. In a nearly 12-minute-long speech as he accepted the award for his work in Prime Video's The Burial, Foxx took a rare moment to address his health scare and subsequent recovery, countering rumors in a surprising moment of candor given his typical hesitation to discuss the frightening journey.
The comedian became visibly emotional several times throughout the night, with audience members cheering him on and telling him to take all the time he needed to get his words out.
Though he still kept most of the details about his health scare under wraps, Foxx did take a moment to reflect on the instant he knew everything was going to work out in his favor, describing it as the "'Lord, have mercy, Jesus' of it all."
Upon his arrival to a rehabilitation facility in Chicago, where he explained, "I was trying to get myself together," Foxx kept his face covered in an attempt to conceal his identity, as nobody knew where he was or what was going on at the time. But the woman checking him in told him, "Well baby, I'm gonna have to see your face if I'm gonna have to sign you in here."
He conceded, lowering his mask and catching her off guard. He tried to choke out her next words, part of the sentence caught in his throat as he worked hard to keep his emotions in check and the audience cheered him on. "Lord..." he got out before taking a moment to collect himself, his eyes shining.
"She said, 'Lord, have mercy, Jesus,'" he recalled, his voice barely more than a whisper. "'I've been praying for you.'"
It's the moment that "gave [him] the indication" that, once all was said and done, he was "gonna be all right..." The crowd's reaction drowned out his final words on the matter, but the message remained clear; six months ago he never would have imagined himself walking up on that stage this week—six months ago he wouldn't have been physically able to—but Foxx is "gonna be all right."
