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What Had Happened Was...

Jamie Foxx

Netflix · 2024 · 68 min

Jamie Foxx returns to the stage to detail his 2023 stroke.

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Jamie Foxx uses his first stand-up stage in over two decades to answer the question that dominated celebrity gossip blogs for over a year: what actually happened to him in April 2023? Filmed over three nights in October 2024 at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, the performance sits somewhere between a traditional comedy set, a theater monologue, and a Sunday church service. The venue itself holds geographical weight, sitting just down the street from the hospital where doctors operated on his brain following a stroke that left him temporarily unable to walk.

What emerges is a theatrical recounting of his survival, detailing the terrifying blackout that initiated his medical emergency and the grueling physical therapy that followed. Foxx balances the heavy stuff, like crying on stage alongside his daughter or thanking his sister for saving his life, with physical comedy and impressions of the no-nonsense Chicago physical therapist who forced him to leave his superstar ego at the door. He also takes aim at the bizarre internet conspiracy theories that blossomed during his absence, joking about rumors that he was replaced by a clone or targeted by Sean Combs.

This hybrid approach to stand-up divided some viewers, with some finding the tonal shifts between weeping gratitude and quick wisecracks jarring, while others embraced the sheer showmanship. The industry took notice too, earning Foxx a Golden Globe nomination in 2025.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Asking his friend for an Aspirin when his headache began on April 11

    Observes how completely helpless and clueless one's friends are during an actual medical emergency.

  2. Addressing rumors that Sean 'Diddy' Combs tried to kill him

    Jokes about leaving Diddy's parties early because they looked 'slippery' and quipping that facing death meant seeing Diddy with a flaming bottle of Johnson & Johnson.

  3. Passing time and keeping spirits up in hospital rehab

    Channeling impressions of Denzel Washington, Dave Chappelle, Mike Tyson, Jay-Z, and Donald Trump during daily check-ins and while nurses assisted him.

  4. Rebutting rumors that he had died and was replaced by a clone

    Defiantly highlights his wide-ranging vocal, musical, and dramatic talents that make him impossible to clone.

  5. Daughter Anelise playing guitar in the hospital

    Recounts how his teenage daughter acted as a 'spiritual defibrillator' whose playing stabilized his vitals during his coma, leading to an onstage musical performance together.

  6. Singing at the piano about a second chance at life

    Plays an original gospel-style tune and jokingly declares he will stop dating white women in public.

How it plays

Tone
Heartfelt, vulnerable, spiritual, celebratory, and irreverent.
On stage
Cool, charismatic, and emotionally vulnerable; humbled by a near-death ordeal while retaining playboy swagger and comedic control.
Pace
Alternates dynamic physical energy, celebration, and character mimicry with emotional pauses, crying, and somber reflections.
About
Brain bleed, stroke, and near-death experience, Hospitalization and physical rehabilitation, Faith, God, and spiritual awakening, Internet conspiracy theories and clone rumors, Gratitude toward family and medical workers, Loss of physical faculties and ego death

What the critics said

Praised as a deeply heartfelt, raw, and moving celebration of life and resilience that blends stand-up comedy, music, and church revival testimony.

In the room: Nurturing, emotional, and supportive, with audience members moved to tears and joining in church-style singalongs.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: rottentomatoes.com, pro.imdb.com, nytimes.com, theguardian.com, decider.com, thewrap.com, en.wikipedia.org, npr.org, imdb.com.

Backstory

Foxx suffered a life-threatening medical emergency in April 2023 in Atlanta caused by a brain bleed that led to a stroke, which was followed by hospital silence, intense media rumors, and online conspiracy theories.

Details

Released
Taped
Alliance Theatre, Atlanta
Runtime
68 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Hamish Hamilton
Honors
Golden Globe Award Nominee
Topics
Before
I Might Need Security (2002)
After
Take Care of Yourself (2026)

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