Jamie Foxx shares ‘moments away from death’ experience during Netflix special

During a live taping for his Netflix special, Jamie Foxx revealed details of his near-fatal health crisis stemming from exhaustion.

Jamie Foxx, during a live taping of his upcoming Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…. has shared his harrowing experience while filming the special in Atlanta, Georgia, this past October.

Jamie Foxx shared his recovery process, highlighting his daughter's role in his healing through music, while infusing humor into his storytelling for a triumphant comeback. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni(REUTERS)

People magazine cited an audience member, Demecos Chambers, who claimed Foxx opened up about being “literally seconds and moments away from death” following his medical emergency in April 2023.

Chambers recounted that Foxx’s health crisis stemmed from “pure exhaustion” as his body gave out from the toll of age and overwork. Although Foxx was in Georgia filming the Netflix movie Back In Action with Cameron Diaz at the time of the incident, he did not collapse on set. “When he passed out, he thought he was just out for a few moments,” Chambers recalled.

“He basically passed out in an elevator and thought he woke up a couple hours later. Well, he was actually in a coma and didn’t wake up until a few weeks later.”

Foxx's daughter's guitar music helped him out of coma

Chambers revealed that one of Foxx’s daughters regularly played the guitar for him while he was unconscious. “She’s playing one of their favourite songs or whatever on a daily basis,” he said. “And he said that’s the only thing he could recall hearing in his sleep, and it brought him essentially out of his coma.”

“He had to start from day one,” he expressed, and added, “While he’s telling the story, he’s throwing bits in there left and right. It’s stand-up comedy. He’s dancing a little bit. He’s playing songs on the piano.”

The Netflix special, set to premiere on December 10 dropped a trailer where Foxx greets the audience with gratitude, saying, “I’m back, and I’m so glad to see you all here. I’m so glad to be here.” While teasing the story of his health scare, he quipped, “What had happened was…” before the trailer cuts off dramatically.

Foxx’s health crisis remains largely a mystery, but in December 2023, during his first public outing since the incident, he admitted, “I couldn’t walk six months ago” and wouldn’t wish his ordeal on his “worst enemy.”