Jamie Foxx reveals cause of illness in new Netflix special ‘What Had Happened Was…’

For Jamie Foxx, laughter may be the best medicine after all.

The multihyphenate entertainer, who sparked concern last April after being hospitalized for a mysterious illness, opened up about the health ordeal on his Netflix comedy special “Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…” which dropped Tuesday.

“If I can stay funny, I can stay alive,” Foxx, 56, quipped, during the hourlong special.

The comedy program, which follows a series of one-man performances Foxx gave in October, also saw the Golden Globe-nominated comic express gratitude to his fans for their support amid his recovery.

“You have no idea how good this feels,” a visibly emotional Foxx told the Atlanta crowd (he was hospitalized in the Georgia city). “I was fightin’ for my life, but I’m here in front of you.”

Foxx also thanked fans in a “personal thank you” video ahead of the special’s release. In the video, shared on Foxx’s Instagram page, the comedian thanked Netflix for “allowing me to have a platform to be able to entertain but at the same time inform,” adding in the caption, “I hope the jokes make you laugh, and I hope the story inspires you.”

“What Had Happened Was” marks Foxx’s first major solo release in 2024. He co-produced and appeared in the Luther Vandross documentary “Luther: Never Too Much,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. He also had a role in the Johnny Mack-directed comedy “Not Another Church Movie,” released in May.

Foxx’s spirited performance in the special has already earned him a Globes nomination for best stand-up comedy special, joining fellow comedians Adam Sandler, Seth Meyers, Ali Wong and more.

What happened to Jamie Foxx?

In April 2023, Foxx’s family revealed the actor and comedian had suffered a “medical complication,” via a statement shared on Foxx’s daughter Corinne’s Instagram profile. No details about Foxx’s condition were disclosed at the time.

Three months later, Foxx personally gave fans a health update in an Instagram video, though specifics on his illness remained scant.

“I went through something that I thought I would never ever go through,” Foxx said at the time. “I know a lot of people were waiting, wanting to hear updates, but to be honest with you, I just didn’t want you to see me … with tubes running out of me and trying to figure out if I was going to make it through.”

Read more: Jamie Foxx’s family reveals ‘medical complication’

Jamie Foxx reveals cause of mystery illness in Netflix special

Foxx said in his Netflix special that his health scare began on April, 11, 2023, when he suffered a “bad headache.” The comedian said he lost consciousness moments after asking for an aspirin to treat his headache. “I don’t remember 20 days,” he added.

During this comatose period, Foxx was taken to a doctor, who administered a cortisone shot and sent him home. Foxx’s younger sister Deidra Dixon, who was still concerned about the “Django Unchained” star’s condition, took him to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta for further evaluation.

Upon seeing Foxx, a doctor at Piedmont informed Dixon that Foxx had suffered a stroke caused by a brain bleed. The exact cause of the stroke was not determined.

“It is a mystery,” Foxx reflected. “We still don’t know exactly what happened to me. All I can tell you is that I appreciate every prayer because I needed every prayer.”

Jamie Foxx reveals in Netflix special he couldn’t walk after stroke

Foxx said he reemerged from his stroke-induced coma in May 2023. The “Blame It” rapper said he subsequently found himself in a wheelchair and was told he could no longer walk.

The loss of mobility sent Foxx into a state of disbelief. “I don’t get strokes,” a teary Foxx recalled saying to himself. “That’s old man s—. … Stop this (expletive) prank.”

Despite the severity of his condition, Foxx said he used comedy to cope with his ailing health. Throughout the special, the comedian poked fun at the uncomfortable parts of recovery — from full-body baths to grueling physical therapy — with irreverent charm.

“I lost everything, but the only thing I could hold onto was my sense of humor,” Foxx said. “I couldn’t necessarily walk that good, I couldn’t talk that good, but I didn’t let go of my funny. … I was always crackin’ jokes, to the point where the nurses thought I was really losing my mind.”

Jamie Foxx talks recovery from mysterious illness

In an August 2023 Instagram post, Foxx alluded to his recovery with several photos that showed him standing in the doorway of an exotic locale, wearing sunglasses and a crocheted bucket hat. “Finally startin to feel like myself,” Foxx wrote. “It’s been an unexpected dark journey… But I can see the light…”

Jamie Foxx talks health: Actor gives new details about mysterious 2023 medical emergency

Foxx made his first major public appearance following his hospitalization in December 2023 at the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema & Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements, where he received the Vanguard Award.

In his remarks, Foxx celebrated his recovery progress by acknowledging that he wasn’t able to walk six months prior. “It feels good to be here. I cherish every single minute now. It’s different,” he said. “I wouldn’t wish what I went through on my worst enemy because it’s tough when it’s almost over.”

Jamie Foxx tells his ‘side of the story’ with stand-up comedy shows

In October, Foxx performed a series of one-man shows in Atlanta, where he discussed his 2023 medical emergency. In a later Instagram post, he shared a gallery of photos from his performance, one of which showed him appearing to wipe away tears, and wrote that his “soul is filled with nothing but pure joy.”

“I had an opportunity to tell my side of the story and there was no better place than Atlanta Georgia,” Foxx wrote in the Oct. 14 post. “I have to thank you Atlanta you showed up and you showed out, I haven’t been on stage in 18 years but I needed the stage and I needed an audience that was made up of nothing but pure love and that’s what you were.”

‘Pure joy’: Jamie Foxx returns to stage following health scare

Gayle King attended one of Foxx’s shows and spoke to him backstage in a video she shared on Instagram. The comedian told her that opening his “wounds” was “excruciating,” and he noted he was worried when he got up on stage because he wasn’t sure what the audience would laugh at.

Foxx also confirmed the show was being taped, and King said in her video caption that it was for a Netflix special.

This story was updated to add new information.

Contributing: Charles Trepany, Bryan Alexander, Brendan Morrow and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamie Foxx Netflix special: Comedian on mystery illness, fan support