Recently, comedian-turned-actor Jamie Foxx publicly recounted the incident leading up to the mysterious health scare that left him hospitalized in April 2023. However, one of his close friends says the public shouldn’t believe everything they hear.
In July, a video surfaced of Foxx sharing the order of events leading to his hospitalization.
“April of last year… bad headache… asked my boy for an Advil…[snaps] I was gone for 20 days. I don’t remember anything,” Foxx tells a group of listeners.
He continues his story as the group listens intently.
“They told me I’m in Atlanta. My sister, my daughter, took me to the first doctor. Next doctor says, ‘Something’s going on up there,'” he says, pointing to his head. “I won’t say on camera. I don’t want to say on camera but it was…”
Video of Foxx’s revelation immediately went viral on social media, with many wondering if it was true.
In a recent interview with “Art of Dialogue,” actor Tyrin Turner, known for playing the lead role of Caine Lawson in the cult classic film “Menace II Society,” shared his thoughts on a surprising revelation from his close friend Foxx.
During the interview, host Mighty Bolton posed a direct question to Turner: “Since you and him so close, a video went viral of him telling somebody what happened to him, and he was telling him how he took a Advil from a friend then he blacked out, and 20 days later he woke up in the hospital from a coma. How you feel about that?”
Turner responded with a mixture of bemusement and concern, suggesting that Foxx’s recounting might not be entirely serious.
“I think sometimes he just be being funny and be talking a lot. You know Jamie crazy. Like, he just be talking, man,” Turner explained. “Jamie just tells stories. Not lying, but I’m saying he tells stories and sometimes he just gets … he has a comedic tone to it.”
Turner emphasized that Foxx is known for his comedic flair, often weaving humor into his narratives.
“You can’t take — trust me, that’s my guy, right? So, you can’t necessarily take it literally. Like, he’s kind of halfway being funny in the … in the scenario,” the “Menace II Society” actor continued.
As he tried to find his words, he expressed frustration that snippets of such conversations, when filmed and shared, can be misconstrued.
“But when people be filming stuff like that, you know, that’s what they get. So they can take it how they want to take it, but I know him, and I know he just be,” he added, before saying, “It ain’t — you ain’t like what people think.”
Foxx’s comments in the video, describing him experiencing a severe headache and losing consciousness after taking an Advil, left many speculating about the seriousness of his condition.
In the clip, the Texas native and mega star mentioned being taken to a doctor in Atlanta by his sister and daughter, where he received a cortisone shot. He also hinted at more serious underlying health issues but stopped short of providing details.
Jamie Foxx was spotted in downtown Phoenix, where he told a small group of people that on April 11th, 2023, he had a bad headache, asked a friend for an Advil, and then woke up 20 days later with no memory of what happened. pic.twitter.com/wIhuvN9hCC
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) July 1, 2024
Turner advised fans, however, that Foxx’s comments on the health scare might not be as dire as they seemed and possibly an idea he is floating for an upcoming project
“Jamie has these stories, you know what I’m saying? He just be … he’s like … we’re working on … he’s working on this stand-up and all kinds of stuff,” Turner shared. “So sometimes we just be throwing stuff out there to see what sticks, what works. You know I would know.”
When asked flatly if he believed the story was a lie, he replied, “A coma for 20 days from an Excedrin, a Tylenol, or Advil? Like I said, he is funny.”
Many fans hopped into the YouTube video’s comment section to weigh in on Turner’s comments, feeling like he was talking too much about his Oscar-winning friend’s business.
One person said, “If he was a ‘friend’, he could have simply said ‘you’ll have to talk to Jamie about that’…. Instead, he lets his lips fly.”
Another viewer wrote, “This is why the industry doesn’t mess with TT = he chats like a little girl.”
“Everyday I’m beginning to realize that Tyrin is becoming more & more like his character in Menace II Society. Tyrin needs O-Dog to tell him ‘you know what, you actin’ like a little bish right now,’” one person wrote.
A separate fan came to Turner’s defense and wrote, “It be like straight sarcasm️. He probably gets tired of ppl asking him about it too much!”
One person flat-out agreed that the story sounds loopy.
“Tyrin makes no sense,” the fan explained. “I never believed Jamie’s story anyway. But hearing this is just crazy. So Jamie lying AGAIN. They muddy the water so much. LA ppl r weird, for real, man.”
Another co-signed, saying, “No one with common sense believed the Advil story. It was obvious Jamie was joking…unless you’re slow.”
If the “Dreamgirls” actor isn’t telling the truth, one viewer said, “GEEZ JAMIE FOXX HAS SOME EXPLAINING TO DO.”
Turner’s comments seemed to reflect a mix of genuine concern and an understanding of Foxx’s penchant for blending humor with reality. While the actor did not confirm the authenticity of the coma story, he hinted that more clarity would come from Foxx himself.
“Whoever was filming him, I don’t know if he was setting him up or whatever,” Turner said. “But like I said, he has a story that he’s going to come out and tell everybody on what really happened. So people need to just wait on that. It’s coming.”
Foxx’s representatives have not commented on the situation, leaving fans eagerly awaiting a full explanation.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t tease his fans.
While at the 2024 African American Film Critics Association Awards luncheon in March, where he was presented with the Producers Award, he toyed with fans about being a clone.
He joked, “Then they saw me with a white girl. ‘That’s Jamie. You know he love them white b—hes.’”
At @theaafca Special Achievement Awards Luncheon, @iamjamiefoxx told us we gonna get the story of that … medical incident. As funny as he was at lunch, I will be SEATED. 👀 pic.twitter.com/442uih9Uj0
— April (@ReignOfApril) March 4, 2024
Aside from their personal friendship, Foxx and Turner also have collaborated professionally. Turner starred in “…and She Was My Eve” (2013), directed by Foxx, and an unreleased comedy film, “All-Star Weekend.” The pair also serve as executive producers on Fox’s “Alert: Missing Persons Unit,” which was recently renewed for a third season.
In the meantime, the public remains hopeful for the actor’s well-being and curious about the truth behind his mysterious illness.
As Turner concluded, “The last time I seen him, we were playing volleyball and all kinds of stuff. So he’s perfectly normal.”
