Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was...

In April 2023, news broke that Jamie Foxx had been hospitalized in Atlanta with what his daughter described on Instagram as a "medical complication." Not much else was revealed, and in the vacuum of information, rumors spread. When a photo of Foxx appeared online, some conspiracy-minded types called it a clone. Katt Williams even jokingly questioned and made fun of his "mysterious illness."

Now Foxx says he wants to set the record straight. Speaking in a theater a few hundred yards from the hospital where he says his life was saved, Foxx enters wearing sunglasses but takes them off quickly to wipe away tears. He says he experienced a brain bleed, suffered a stroke, temporarily lost the ability to walk and doesn't remember 20 days of his life. It's a moving performance that feels like part of a growing trend of how comics deal with medical catastrophe.

Jamie Fox is indisputably one talented man. But he is just a human man. He seems to be floored that he should suffer a normal human ailment. He is so arrogant he doesn't seem to understand that people with far less resources go through exactly what he went through every day and they also recover. And they also get through it whether they believe or "find" god or not. Yes, he's talented. But he is also incredibly self indulgent. So if you want to spend an hour worshipping Jamie Foxx, this is the perfect vehicle. But if you have ever been or loved a person who has worked through a similar personal tragedy, you will likely find this "comedy special" tedious, over the top self congratulatory, and definitely lacking in any depth or self reflection.

I thought the first 15 maybe 20 at the most would be him explaining his story and move on with a bit of Jokes talking about his new movie or even anything other than himself but nope just a solid hour of Me me me and black pandering to God and the Audience. If he wasn't a clone before I would definitely see him more so now. Should not even be labeled as a comedy its more like a Documentary first then maybe a Gospel. Wow this is bad I literally fell asleep and flipped through today to see if I missed anything but nope. Just a man crying for an hour straight and tanking god for his survival while the Audience preaches on.

What Had Happened Was... is a slightly erratic and highly emotional special that addresses the biggest question straight away from the only perspective that really matters. It's Jamie Foxx setting the record straight in his own words in a deeply open fashion whilst still finding the time to get a few big laughs from what he's been through. His uncannily accurate impressions get time to shine and he spends so much of this special on the verge of tears which keeps it highly investing.

The atmosphere of the special is pretty strong thanks to a really responsive crowd who are always on board with what Jamie does and there's some great reactions from them. The musical interludes are equal parts funny and emotional and they elicit big reactions from the crowd as does his sermon-like storytelling, culminating in a well deserved standing ovation to ensure this ends on a pretty big high to counterbalance most of the issues beforehand.

This is not a comedy special. Jamie spends an hour explaining his health scare. It is obvious that this was a humbling experience. Rest assured, Jamie is the same funny and talented guy as he's always been. Jamie taps into his locker full of impressions to help him navigate the story. Some of his past roles are highlighted. You will see a lot of raw emotion throughout the special. He gives thanks to his family, God and the staff at Piedmont Hospital, in Atlanta, Georgia for helping him to get back on his feet. Both of his daughters make a special appearance. If you are a longtime Foxx fan then this is worth your watch.