Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was ... review – a star is born again

Reflecting on the stroke he had in 2023, the standup and actor delivers a mix of religion, repentance, wisecracks and tears in his Netflix special

It’s quite the document, this new Jamie Foxx special, in which the Oscar- and Grammy-winner opens up about the “mystery illness” that nearly killed him. You could view it as the 56-year-old’s hymn to God, his fans (and himself, frankly) as, trembling of lip, he expresses gratitude for this second shot at life. Or as the ravening Hollywood ego made manifest in standup and song. Or as a case study in the confusions of modern masculinity. Any which way, it certainly makes an impression.

What renders the show (clunkily titled What Had Happened Was …) newsworthy is its account of the stroke Foxx had in April 2023, which removed him from public life and prompted rumours he had died. In Foxx’s account, it was a death, of sorts. Using a wheelchair, unable to wipe his backside, Foxx had to slay the old, egotistical Jamie so a humbler one could heal and move on. Such were the teachings of a no-nonsense Chicago nurse who shepherded the superstar to recovery, with the help of his sister, his daughters, his fans’ prayers – and the Lord and Saviour who orchestrated all this, too.

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