Jamie Foxx reveals daughter saved his life during medical emergency

Jamie Foxx recounts how his teenage daughter Anelise used her guitar to stabilize his vitals.

What would you do if the music of a loved one held the power to save a life? For Jamie Foxx, this became a reality during a life-threatening medical emergency.

The Oscar-winning actor recently opened up during the premiere of his Netflix special, What Had Happened Was, about a harrowing experience in April 2023 when a brain bleed caused a severe stroke. Speaking candidly, Foxx revealed the dire moments at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, where doctors feared the worst. "During the first 15 days, they thought they might lose me," Foxx shared, recalling how his vitals were out of control despite extensive medical care.

Amid the crisis, a remarkable intervention came from his 14-year-old daughter, Anelise. Determined to help her father, she snuck into his hospital room with her guitar. "She said, ‘I know what my daddy needs … that’s my daddy,’” Foxx recounted. As she played, his vitals began to stabilize, leaving the medical staff astonished. "The nurses rushed in, thinking it was medication, but it was her music," he said. "God was in that guitar. That’s my spiritual defibrillator."

Foxx described the moment as miraculous, crediting his daughter’s music with saving his life. In an emotional segment of his show, he invited Anelise onstage, where she performed with her guitar. Foxx, visibly moved, expressed his gratitude: “Thank you for stepping up when all was lost.”

The father-daughter duo concluded with a heartfelt performance, combining her guitar playing with his rapping. The moment celebrated not just his recovery but also the profound power of love and music in healing.