Jamie Foxx Was Hospitalized for Hemorrhagic Stroke After Misdiagnosis

• Jamie Foxx has revealed details about the “medical complication” he experienced in August 2023, in his new Netflix special
• The actor experienced brain bleeding, known clinically as hemorrhagic stroke.
• Foxx has apparently made a full recovery but admits that he went through the “worst year” of his life.

Jamie Foxx has broken his silence about the medical emergency he suffered in 2023, and he is grateful to be alive.

After nearly two years of silence, the actor has revealed in his new Netflix special, “What Had Happened Was”, that he experienced brain bleeding and stroke.

“I was fighting for my life,” the 56-year-old said at the top of the special. He’d later strike a more somber tone, stating, “It is a mystery. We still don’t know exactly what happened to me. All I can tell you is that I appreciate every prayer because I needed every prayer.”

Brain bleeding, clinically known as hemorrhagic stroke, is a serious and potentially fatal medical condition. It is caused by a blood vessel that ruptures and bleeds either within the tissue of the brain or in the space between the brain and the skull. During a hemorrhagic stroke, the brain is deprived of oxygen due to a lack of blood flow and pressure caused by blood pooling inside the skull.

Hemorrhagic strokes are far less common, making up only about 13% of all strokes, compared to ischemic strokes.

Foxx appears to have made a full recovery, dispelling rumors that he could no longer walk by dancing around the stage for the packed audience. Nonetheless, he has faced a challenging battle, with one doctor admonishing him that he would have to drop the “arrogant” act if he expected to make a full recovery.

News of Foxx’s “medical complication” initially broke back in April 2023, but the actor was tightlipped. Now he’s revisiting the moment in his special:

“April 11, I was having a bad headache, and I asked my boy for aspirin, and I realized quickly that when you in a medical emergency, your boy don’t know what the f— to do. But I was having such a bad headache,” he recounted. “Before I could get the aspirin,” he continued, “I went out. I don’t remember 20 days.”

The actor’s sister immediately sought out medical attention, only to be sent home by the first doctor, who did not believe his symptoms indicated a serious medical issue. However, his sister sensed the gravity of the situation and continued searching for another hospital.

How can symptoms of a stroke be so easily misdiagnosed?

Having a headache on its own is nonspecific, meaning there are plenty of reasons why someone could have one.

“A gentleman with sudden onset of headache without focal deficits, and the severity of the headache may or may not have improved to some degree — they might not have had the suspicion that he had a stroke, particularly with him being an otherwise young, healthy guy,” said Kendrick Johnson, MD, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Tulane University School of Medicine, told Healthline.

He notes that it is often necessary to use some form of intracranial imaging, such as a CT scan or MRI, to identify bleeding in the brain.

Foxx’s experience underscores the importance of being able to identify the signs and symptoms of stroke since immediate medical care can be the difference between life and death or permanent disability.

“Sudden onset of headache is highly suspicious of acute bleeding in the brain. That’s a very common presentation, coupled with loss of consciousness,” said Johnson.

A bad headache isn’t necessarily indicative of a stroke, most of the time. But, a particularly bad one could be.

“We often refer to it as the worst headache of one’s life,” said Mitch Elkind, MD, MS, the Chief Clinical Science Officer of the American Heart Association.

“That is the one that classically causes the worst headache of one’s life,” said Elkind, “Sometimes there can be nausea and vomiting from that, and it can actually be a cause of sudden death. It can be so severe that there’s enough blood surrounding the brain that you can’t get normal blood flow into the brain.”

It’s unclear if Foxx experienced a subarachnoid hemorrhage or another form of brain bleeding.

But headache isn’t the only sign of hemorrhagic stroke either, and its symptoms can often be similar to the more common ischemic stroke.

“Depending on where the bleeding is, you can have any number of focal deficits, including weakness in one arm or leg, numbness and tingling in one arm or leg, difficulty speaking, difficulty understanding speech, visual difficulty; all those types of symptoms are indicative of having some insult to the brain,” said Johnson.

To identify stroke, Elkind recommends memorizing the acronym FAST, which stands for:

• Face: Does the side of the face droop, or is it numb? Can the individual smile when asked?
• Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Can the individual raise both arms?
• Speech difficulty: Does the individual have slurred speech?
• Time to call 911: Stroke is always an emergency, and every minute counts. Note the time when symptoms first appeared and seek immediate medical attention.

“We know that time is brain. So whether it’s a hemorrhage or an ischemic stroke, the faster somebody’s diagnosed and treated, the better they will do,” said Elkind.

Jamie Foxx experienced a hemorrhagic stroke and brain bleeding in August 2023 but appears to have made a full recovery.

The actor described experiencing a terrible headache before losing consciousness. That description is consistent with the signs and symptoms of hemorrhagic stroke, particularly the form known as subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Hemorrhagic stroke may also mirror common symptoms of ischemic stroke as well, such as arm or leg numbness, facial drooping, and slurred speech.

Remember the acronym FAST to identify stroke symptoms, and always seek out immediate medical attention if you suspect a stroke.