Jamie Foxx’s representative has denied a bizarre online conspiracy claim that the COVID-19 vaccination caused the actor’s mystery hospitalization.
Jamie, who was born Eric Bishop, was filming the action-comedy Back In Action with Cameron Diaz in Atlanta, Georgia, in April when he was admitted to hospital.
The actor, 55, has been treated at a facility in Chicago, which specializes in treatment for adults with ‘severe complex conditions’, including stroke recovery – although it has not been revealed what condition Foxx is suffering from.
Claims on social media that Foxx was left seriously ill after being injured by a vaccine have gone viral – with notable figures including conservative host Candace Owens suggesting Foxx had indeed been damaged by the vaccine.
The furore began when podcaster A.J.Benza made a shock unsubstantiated claim on Dr Drew Pinsky’s online talk show that Foxx had been left ‘partially paralyzed and blind’ after he received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Benza claimed Foxx was ‘forced’ to get a vaccine to work on a film and further alleged the actor developed a blood clot which led to a stroke afterwards – Foxx’s representatives told NBC News that Benza’s claim is ‘completely inaccurate.’
Denied: Jamie Foxx’s representative has denied a bizarre online conspiracy claim that the COVID-19 vaccination caused the actor’s mystery hospitalization (Foxx pictured March 2023)
Pinsky later told the publication in a statement: ‘The statements from A.J. were based on his own confidential sources, so I can’t speculate further than what he said on the show. I sincerely hope that AJ’s sources are wrong and Mr. Foxx will make a full recovery.
‘There is no evidence and I have no reason to believe that his medical condition is directly related to vaccine therapy or a post-COVID phenomenon. Any evidence of either would have to come from his physicians.’
He added that he supports and recommends ‘all safe vaccines’, but added that ‘a concerning number of people have seemingly had their lives significantly affected by side effects, health issues, and the deaths of loved ones — and some signs suggest a connection to mRNA vaccines.’
Owens then insinuated on her podcast that Benza’s statement must be true because Foxx’s family didn’t ‘outright deny it’ – with Owens’ video racking up more than 180,000 views.
She said: ‘Their silence seems as though there is some veracity to this claim. We’re all holding our breath to see whether or not Jamie Foxx speaks out.’
Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative organization Talking Points USA, tweeted: ‘Those of us who spoke against the mRNA shot were attacked in every imaginable way. I am infuriated a decent person like Jamie Foxx fell victim to Big Pharma because a movie set is still dumb enough to mandate their cash cow clot shot.’
Kirk’s spokesman told the publication he had shared the article ‘so readers could check it out for themselves.’
The furore began when podcaster A.J.Benza made a shock unsubstantiated claim on Dr Drew Pinsky’s online talk show that Foxx had been left ‘partially paralyzed and blind’ after he received a COVID-19 vaccine (Benza pictured 2016)
Pinsky later told the publication in a statement: ‘The statements from A.J. were based on his own confidential sources, so I can’t speculate further than what he said on the show. I sincerely hope that AJ’s sources are wrong and Mr. Foxx will make a full recovery’
Actor Kevin Sorbo also retweeted an article repeating the bizarre claims, and wrote: ‘Praying for Jamie Foxx. I can’t imagine how many Americans are dealing with similar problems and the MSM hardly bats an eye.
Anti-vaxx tweets and Youtube videos have quickly spread across social media – the widespread misinformation about vaccines has included false claims about their safety, efficacy, ingredients, side effects and purpose.
Studies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed that vaccines are safe and effective.
DailyMail.com has contacted Jamie Foxx’s representative for further comment.
Foxx was said to have had a stroke after it was previously claimed he suffered a mystery health scare last month, according to Mike Tyson.
During an appearance on the Valuetainment podcast, ex-boxer Mike said of Jamie: ‘He’s not feeling well. They said a stroke. I have no idea what happened to him.’
The actor’s health scare has come as a shock to fans and those who knew him, including host Patrick Bet-David, who revealed in his discussion with Tyson that he dined out with the star just months before.
‘We were at a restaurant in LA… he showed up, looked really good,’ he said. ‘And then all of a sudden you hear stories.’
Conservative: Candace Owens then insinuated on her podcast that Benza’s statement must be true because Foxx’s family didn’t ‘outright deny it’ – with Owens’ video racking up more than 180,000 views
Bizarre tweet: Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative organization Talking Points USA, tweeted: ‘Those of us who spoke against the mRNA shot were attacked in every imaginable way. I am infuriated a decent person like Jamie Foxx fell victim to Big Pharma’
Tweet: Actor Kevin Sorbo also retweeted an article repeating the bizarre claims, and wrote: ‘Praying for Jamie Foxx. I can’t imagine how many Americans are dealing with similar problems and the MSM hardly bats an eye
The boxer responded: ‘Hey listen, we can’t anticipate our next breath, we don’t know when we’re going to die.’
Jamie, who was born Eric Bishop, was filming the action-comedy Back In Action with Cameron Diaz in Atlanta, Georgia, in April when he was admitted to hospital.
According to reports, Jamie’s health scare has thrown production into chaos, and Cameron, 51, has been filming with body doubles in his absence.
Jamie’s daughter Corinne was among several loved ones to visit the actor at his physical rehab center over the weekend.
Corrine was pictured arriving at the facility, which is touted as the top rehabilitation center in the country, for ‘the most severe, complex conditions’.
It specializes in the treatment of severe conditions like strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries.
His good friend Dave Brown was also seen visiting the facility and spent time chatting to Corinne before going to visit the star.
On May 12, Corrine spoke out to share an update about his condition, insisting that her father had been ‘out of the hospital for weeks’.
Corinne confirmed in a statement via Instagram that her father is currently receiving ‘great care’ and ‘is already on his way to recovery.’
Jamie is understood to have arrived at the facility in late April and is ‘recovering well’ after first getting treatment at a hospital in Atlanta.
Shortly after Jamie’s ‘stroke’, sources claimed to Page Six that he suffers from high blood pressure and that he was ‘lucky to be alive’.
In an Instagram post on May 3, his family posted on his profile said: ‘Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed’ followed by praying hands, heart and fox emojis.
It’s unclear if Jamie himself made the post. At that point, no further details on his condition had been shared, leading to speculation about how serious his illness is.
Grave: Fans were initially alerted about the health scare when his daughter Corinne shared a grave statement on social media on April 12
Speaking out: Former boxer Mike Tyson said of Jamie: ‘He’s not feeling well. They said a stroke. I have no idea what happened to him’
Pals: Jamie and Mike are pictured together
The Oscar winner’s account also gave a shout-out on Instagram to friend Nick Cannon who has filled in hosting duties for him on popular game show Beat Shazam.
Fans were initially alerted about the health scare when his daughter Corinne shared a grave statement on social media on April 12.
The actress wrote, ‘We wanted to share that, my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday.
‘Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery,’ she continued.
‘We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time,’ the statement concluded.
At the time of the alleged stroke, Jamie was filming Back In Action, which is funded by Netflix and is Cameron’s comeback movie after she retired from film.
The project has faced a number of difficulties, including Jamie reportedly firing a number of crew members, while the film faces delays.
A source told The Sun: ‘This has been a disaster, and Cameron must be wondering what she was thinking by coming back.
‘But the truth is Jamie’s health problems now look pretty serious and those delays earlier on might end up looking quite minor by comparison. Of course it’s desperately sad and everyone wishes him all the best.’
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Jamie, Mike and Netflix for comment.
A representative for Mike told MailOnline: ‘Mr. Tyson was just speaking about what he heard at the time but it wasn’t from Mr. Foxx’s camp.
‘He doesn’t know what happened as he hasn’t spoken directly to anyone on Mr. Foxx’s team.
Medical emergency: Jamie was filming the action-comedy Back In Action with Cameron Diaz in Atlanta, Georgia, in April when he was admitted to hospital (pictured with daughter Corinne in 2020)
‘He was asked about it on a podcast but he’s hoping whatever the undisclosed medical condition is that Jamie will make a full recovery.’
His latest film shoot in Atlanta appears to have been a surprisingly stressful ordeal for the Baby Driver actor, as well as his colleagues.
It was reported in March that Jamie ‘had an absolute meltdown’ while the film was shooting in the UK, which led to the firing of multiple people.
He reportedly booted an executive producer from the project, along with two directors and even his own driver.
According to The Sun, one staffer was fired in relation to an apparent scam to access £33,000 in cash from the actor, which was reportedly in relation to the sale of a Rolex watch.
There was even more drama when it was revealed that production was paused last month after an unexploded WWII-era bomb was discovered on the film’s set in London, just before two major action scenes were set to be filmed.