Sources close to Jamie Foxx, who is recovering in rehab after suffering an undisclosed illness and being rushed to the emergency room, say rumors that he was blinded and paralyzed by the COVID-19 vaccine are false.
The mystery behind Foxx’s condition is being used by the far-right, anti-vaccine community to discredit the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine to fit their narrative, NBC reported.
The misinformation was first spread by podcaster and former New York City gossip columnist A.J. Benza, who said on Dr. Drew’s web show that his reliable sources were certain that Foxx was in dire condition after being told he needed the vaccination shot to film his upcoming projects.
Dr. Drew did not question Benza’s sources.
According to an e-mail obtained by NBC from Foxx’s representatives, Benza’s claim is “completely inaccurate. Foxx’s daughter, Corinne, had to confirm in an Instagram Story post that he had been at home for several weeks after some rumors said he was on the verge of dying.
After receiving the shot, Foxx allegedly felt sick and needed medical attention. The conspiracy is that Foxx’s management team is hiding from the public so as not to discourage others from getting COVID-19 should there ever be a resurgence of the virus.
The columnist’s misinformation was amplified when Candace Owens, a black conservative commentator who promotes strong Republican rhetoric on her YouTube show, said Foxx’s team’s silence surrounding the unverified source is convincing.
“Their silence seems as though there is some veracity to this claim,” Owens said in the YouTube video. “We’re all holding our breath to see whether or not Jamie Foxx speaks out.”
Rumors about Foxx have been spreading from those who claim to be close to him.
The Root reported that Mike Tyson said that Foxx was “not feeling well” and said with certainty, “They said [it was] a stroke. I have no idea what happened to him.”
It’s important to note that Foxx’s family has not provided any further information about his hospitalization and recovery. According to one report, he was admitted from an undisclosed hospital in Atlanta and is being treated at an unnamed rehab facility in Chicago, where his family said he had the opportunity to play pickle ball, a low-impact paddle sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis and ping-pong.
Foxx has two movies coming out on Netflix, including “They Cloned Tyrone” with John Boyega and Teyonah Parris, and “Strays” with Will Ferrell.
