Jamie Foxx became emotional as he opened up about his hospitalization for a mystery illness earlier this year, revealing Monday at a Critics Choice Association event that he was at one point unable to walk.
The CCA’s Celebration of Cinema & Television Honoring Black, Latino & AAPI Achievements in Los Angeles marked his first public appearance since his April hospitalization.
“You know it’s crazy I couldn’t do that six months ago. I couldn’t actually walk,” Foxx, 55, said as he accepted the Vanguard Award for his performance in “The Burial”.
“And I’m not a clone, I’m not a clone. I know a lot of people were saying I was cloned out there,” he added laughing.
“It feels good to be here. I cherish every single minute now. It’s different. You know? It’s different. It’s beyond — I wouldn’t wish what went through on my worst enemy because it’s tough when it’s almost over, when you see the tunnel,” Foxx continued.
“I saw the tunnel, I didn’t see the light!” he said jokingly. “It was hot in that tunnel! I didn’t know what I was doing. S—, am I going to the right place? I see the devil going ‘c’mon.'”
Foxx experienced an unspecified medical emergency while working on the film “Back in Action” alongside Glenn Close and Cameron Diaz in Atlanta in April and since then has kept out of the public eye.
In July, he took to Instagram to describe the ordeal, saying he “went to hell and back” but was “coming back.”
“If you see me out from now on, and every once in a while I just burst into tears, it’s because it’s been tough man, I was sick man, but now I’ve got my legs under me so you’ll see me out,” he said at that time.
In his speech Monday night, Foxx thanked his sister and daughter for “not letting anybody know anything that happened,” adding, “I can only say that you need somebody like that in your corner.”
He gave shoutouts to friends in the crowd dear to him, including Lenny Kravitz, Taraji P. Henson, and Fantasia.
Foxx revealed that he was treated in Chicago and his experience has left him with “a new respect for life” and for art.
“Black people, when we almost die or go through something like that, there’s two phrases, one of two phrases we say. One is, ‘Lord, have mercy, Jesus. Lord, have mercy, Jesus.’” he said.
“I want to say thank you so much. I want to say, six months ago I couldn’t fathom that this could happen or that I would be here, but as I walk up here to this microphone and get this Vanguard Award, all I can say is Lord, have mercy, Jesus,” he concluded.
Foxx has been a Hollywood A-lister for decades.
He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2005 for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the biopic “Ray.” He’s also starred in an array of films such as “Ali,” “Dreamgirls” and “Miami Vice.” Foxx also has a music career, working with the likes of Kanye West, Twista and Ludacris.
Last month, Foxx was sued by a woman who claimed he sexually assaulted her at a New York City rooftop bar in August 2015. The suit was filed two days before the expiration date for the New York Adult Survivors Act, which gave adult sexual assault survivors one year to sue regardless of when the statute of limitations expired.
A spokesperson for Foxx told NBC News at the time that the “alleged incident never happened” and that Foxx intended to pursue a claim for malicious prosecution.
