On stage at the 2025 BET Awards on Monday night, Jamie Foxx broke down in tears as he accepted the Ultimate Icon Award and talked about his 2023 near-death experience.
When the “In Memoriam” tribute was playing, the comedian and actor politely collected the trophy from Stevie Wonder and then became emotional, stating that he thought about his stroke and subsequent hospitalization because he nearly missed it only two years prior.
He argued… “Man, I thought that might have been me. I’m not sure why I went through what I did, but I know that I won’t pass up a second chance. I will not decline.”
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Additionally, he explained the profound vow he made to God upon realizing he was being given another chance at life. “I said, for whatever reason you put this on me, I promise I’m gonna do right.”
JF praised his fellow Black people for supporting him at his comeback Netflix special, “Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was,” and stated that he will never forget his roots.
With sincere appreciation, he said… “It’s like you guys held me down, and I don’t want to make this whole speech about that, but you can’t go through something like that and not testify.”
The Oscar winner gave it a run for its money when he thanked his teary-eyed daughters for supporting him during his health scare and recovery, if the room wasn’t already in tears.
In particular, he remembered how Anelise, who was 14 at the time, had surreptitiously entered his hospital room to play a guitar for him when his vital signs were failing. He claimed that while she was playing, his health improved, and he added, “I realized God was in her guitar.”
“You’ve always taken a backseat to everything,” he said, his voice shaking, to let his oldest daughter Corinne know how much her support meant to him. However, you drove it when you had to.
Everyone in the room needed Kleenex by that time.
As you may remember, in April 2023, Jamie was sent to the hospital due to a dangerous mysterious disease. In his December 2024 Netflix special, he disclosed that he suffered a stroke and a brain bleed.
He had a medical emergency during filming “Back in Action” alongside Cameron Diaz, but after he recovered, he was able to complete his sequences. January of this year saw the release of the movie.
It appears that Jamie has returned to his full range of activities at this time, and he continues to be thankful for every moment he has left on earth.
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