“I went to hell and back.”
Jamie Foxx is making a comeback after facing a serious medical scare in April.
“I went to hell and back,” Foxx, 55, said in an emotional three-minute video posted on his Instagram, his first substantial update following months of speculation surrounding his condition. “My road to recovery had some potholes as well. But I’m coming back. And I’m able to work.”
Though he thanked fans in May for their support, Foxx said he decided to wait and speak out because he didn’t want people to see him “with tubes running out of me,” when he wasn’t sure if he would survive the harrowing ordeal.
“I went through something I thought I’d never ever, ever go through, and I know a lot of people were waiting and wanting to hear updates. But to be honest with you, I just didn’t want you to see me like that,” he said. “I want you to see me laughing, having a good time, partying, cracking a joke, doing a movie, television show.”
Since his hospitalization, Foxx was been recently seen in Las Vegas shooting a commercial that’s supposed to air alongside the NFL’s kickoff in September. As the actor returns to filming, here’s what we know about why he was rushed to the hospital, his mysterious illness, and how fellow celebrities are showing their support.
Why was Jamie Foxx hospitalized?
There’s still no clear answer to this question. The actor was hospitalized for an undisclosed medical complication on April 11, while he was in Atlanta filming the upcoming Netflix comedy Back in Action. His daughter Corinne announced the news the next day, saying Foxx was already “on his way to recovery” at that point. A month later, Corinne shot down reports that the family had been preparing for the worst, and explaining that Foxx had been “out of the hospital for weeks.”
In his most recent Instagram post, Foxx thanked both his daughter and his younger sister Deidra Dixon for their “protection” throughout his recovery. “I cannot tell you how great it feels to have your family kick in, in such a way, and y’all know they kept it airtight, they didn’t let nothing out,” Foxx said. “They protected me. And that’s what I hope everyone could have in the moments like these.”
What do we know about Foxx’s mystery illness?
Foxx hasn’t disclosed his medical complication. We do know, though, that he was seen in Chicago, where CNN reported that he underwent medical treatment at a facility specializing in rehabilitation care for patients with physical impairments and brain or spine injuries. During his time there, he made headlines for returning someone’s lost purse, which earned him the wholesome nickname “handbag hero.”
But he did try to set the record straight following some online rumors. In his Instagram video, Foxx pushed back against suggestions he had gone blind or was paralyzed by rolling his eyes and making a funny face. “By being quiet, sometimes things get out of hand,” he said.
How are fellow celebrities showing support?
Foxx is definitely feeling the love from his fans and fellow costars alike.
“Awww Man!! Who’s cuttin’ onions?? Love U Foxx!! Your Light Is Needed ‘n Appreciated Right Now,” Will Smith, who worked with Foxx on the 2001 film Ali, commented on the actor’s video update.
Actress Glenn Close, who stars alongside Foxx on the film Back in Action, also chimed in, saying the last time she saw him was “a sunny day when you were laughing, throwing a football, graciously letting some extras take selfies with you.”
Dozens of other A-listers such as Jennifer Garner, Reese Witherspoon, Michael B. Jordan, Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, and Justin Timberlake have also offered their well-wishes for Foxx.
This support hasn’t gone unnoticed by the actor. “I cannot even begin to tell you how far it took me and how it brought me back,” he said.
