Hollywood star Jamie Foxx is opening up about his near-death experience and the miraculous role his teenage daughter played in saving his life. In his newly released Netflix special *“Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…”*, Foxx revealed the emotional details surrounding his brush with death after suffering a severe brain bleed and stroke in April 2023.
Foxx, 56, explained to his audience in Atlanta that his survival was nothing short of divine intervention—and that his then-14-year-old daughter, Anelise, was the angel God sent to his bedside.
The Oscar-winning *Ray* star recounted how doctors at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta struggled to stabilize him. “They said at one point, the first 15 days, they thought they were going to lose me because my vitals were out of control,” Foxx shared. “They gave me every medication they could to keep me calm, but nothing worked.”
Foxx, known for his humor even in the darkest moments, lightheartedly joked that a hospital full of “Black family members” wasn’t exactly conducive to the calm environment doctors were trying to create. But it was his daughter Anelise, armed with nothing but faith and her guitar, who performed what Foxx described as a *miracle*.
The emotional father recounted how Anelise snuck into his hospital room when he was at his worst. “I didn’t want her to see me like that, but she said, ‘I know what my daddy needs … that’s my daddy,’” Foxx told the crowd, visibly moved.
Anelise quietly began playing her guitar at his bedside, a moment that defied both science and logic. “They said when she was playing, my vitals went down,” Foxx recalled. “The nurses at the station were baffled. Like, ‘What did they give him?’” The staff rushed into his room, only to find Anelise softly saying, *“Shh, I got him.”*
In that moment, Foxx realized something profound. “God was in that guitar,” he declared. “That’s my spiritual defibrillator.”
Later in the special, Foxx asked Anelise to join him on stage, showcasing the young girl’s musical talents for the world to see. “Play, play, play,” Foxx encouraged as his pride was evident to all watching. “Shine, Anelise. Shine, baby.” The moment was a powerful testament to the love of family and the faith that kept Foxx alive.
Foxx, who had previously kept the details of his medical crisis private, finally disclosed just how serious the situation was. “I suffered a brain bleed that led to a stroke,” he revealed. Emergency surgery was required, and he spent weeks unconscious. When he finally woke up, he found himself in a wheelchair, disoriented and confused.
But despite the trauma, Foxx emphasized that he felt God’s presence through it all. “I didn’t see the light,” he said, “but I felt oddly peaceful in that tunnel.”
Foxx’s eldest daughter, Corinne, was instrumental in shielding her father from media speculation during his recovery. When false reports surfaced suggesting the family was “preparing for the worst,” Corinne set the record straight in May, revealing her father had already been discharged and was even playing pickleball.
Foxx’s Netflix special is a moving tribute to resilience, family, and faith. It’s also a reminder that sometimes the greatest miracles come not from medicine alone but from love, prayer, and a child’s simple yet powerful faith.
*“Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…”* is now streaming on Netflix, offering audiences both laughter and tears—and a story of survival that only God Himself could write.
