Jamie Foxx finally reveals what happened when he almost died because of 'mystery illness'

Jamie Foxx has revealed that the 'mystery illness' that has kept him out of the public eye for more than year was a terrifying event that almost killed him.

The actor and musician has spoken about his health in a new Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was, released today (10 December).

Now 56 years old, the performer was left fighting for his life after suffering a medical incident in April 2023. His daughter Corinne had confirmed he had been hospitalised but little else was said about the medical emergency.

Jamie Foxx has spoken about the incident (Joe Maher/Getty Images)

Offering occasional updates, Foxx said he had been to 'hell and back' in a post to social media in July last year.

Joking about the incident on the new Netflix special, Foxx danced around the stage after recalling the rumours he was paralysed.

He said: "April 11, I was having a bad headache, and I asked my boy for Aspirin.

"I realised quickly that when you’re in a medical emergency, your boys don’t know what the f**k to do."

He said that the incident left him unable to remember the next 20 days.

On arrival to hospital, doctors said his headache was in fact a bleed on the brain and he was suffering from a stroke. He needed to be operated on or he would die.

He suffered a stroke (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Foxx was left unable to walk, with the actor confined to a wheelchair and having to learn how to move his legs again.

"When I woke up I found myself in a wheelchair," he said.

"I couldn't walk."

Not remembering what had happened to him, Foxx asked a friend who said he had suffered a stroke.

Clearly emotional recalling the story, Foxx bravely continued telling the story about his journey since then after undergoing rehabilitation in Chicago.

Foxx with his daughter, Corinne (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic))

After resisting what the doctors were telling him to do, he was told to cut out the 'arrogant' Jamie Foxx persona and just accept the situation he was in.

One nurse said he had to 'kill' the old Jamie Foxx in order to become the new version of himself.

Looking back, Foxx said he was 'blessed with a stroke' after forgetting about God.

One of the key things to his recovery was comedy, with it staying omnipresent regardless of his physical issues.

"If I could stay funny, I could stay alive," he explained.

To this day, he says doctors still don't know why he suffered the stroke.

Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was is available to stream now on Netflix.