In a touching speech delivered at the 2025 BET Awards, Jamie Foxx recalled his harrowing near-death experience.
The 57-year-old American actor and comedian attended the 25th Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards in Los Angeles, California, on Monday, June 9, where he was honored with the esteemed BET Ultimate Icon Award.
After receiving the huge honor, the Back in Action star broke down in tears as he delivered an emotional acceptance speech in which he recounted his horrifying near-death experience and also expressed gratitude towards fans for admiring him and his work.
The Law Abiding Citizen actor expressed, “All the time. I cannot even begin to express the love that I feel from everybody out there. I gotta be honest — when I saw the 'in memoriam' [portion of the awards show], I was like man, that could have been me.”
“But I don’t know why I went through what I went through, but I know my second chance, I’m not gone turn down. I have so much love to give. And I promised, ‘whatever reason you put this on me, I promise imma do right and imma do right in front of y’all,” Foxx tearfully stated.
The Day Shift star continued, “I know a lot of times when we get on, we forget about where we come from. When I did my special, it was in front of Black people. Black people was the one who said, ‘I got you.’”
For those unaware, Jamie Foxx underwent a severe medical crisis in 2023 while filming his Netflix movie, Back in Action.
Initially described as a “bad headache” when he was hospitalized, the condition was later diagnosed as a stroke, which led to several weeks in the hospital, surgery, and an extended coma.
In the speech, the actor also reflected on the significance of the BET Ultimate Icon honor, saying, "The Icon Award is the most important award because it comes from us.”
Why is Jamie Foxx awarded BET Icon Award?
Presented by Stevie Wonder, the BET Ultimate Icon Award recognizes Jamie Foxx’s remarkable contributions to music, film, television, and comedy, as well as his strength in overcoming serious health setback.
The award also celebrated his decades-long impact on Black culture and entertainment.
