Jamie Foxx, his daughters can't stop the tears during BET Awards speech: ‘Could have been me in In Memorium segment'

Hindustan Times

10-06-2025

Jamie Foxx was honoured at the 2025 BET Awards with the Ultimate Icon Award, recognising his decades of groundbreaking contributions to music, entertainment, advocacy, and community impact. The award was presented to him by legendary musician Stevie Wonder, who shared a heartfelt introduction, recalling their long-standing friendship and Foxx's extraordinary talent. (Also read: Kirk Franklin, honoured at BET Awards, praises wife for supporting him despite her dad 'fighting for his life')
In his emotional acceptance speech, Foxx reflected on his near-fatal stroke in April 2023, expressing profound gratitude for his second chance at life.
"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 going to turn down. I'm not going to turn down," Foxx said.
Foxx then recalled he asked for "one more crack" at life.
"I said, for whatever reason you put this on me, I promise I'mma do right. I'mma do right in front of y'all, because I know a lot of times, when we get on we forget about where we come from," Foxx said.
The 57-year-old star paid a tribute to his daughters, Corinne and Anelise, highlighting their unwavering support during his recovery. "I cannot say enough about you," he said of his daughter, Corinne, 31. "You've always taken the backseat to everything. But when you needed to drive it, you drove. And you made sure I was here. And I ain't going to turn down."
Talking about Anelise, Foxx said, "My baby with the big hair. She hides under that hair because she's got something special. You're so beautiful, man." He added that when he was fighting for his life and his vitals were bad, he didn't want his 14-year-old daughter to see him like that.
"But my Anelise overheard the conversation, and she snuck into my hospital room with her guitar and said, 'I know what my daddy needs.' And as she played the guitar, my vitals dropped and I realised that God, was in that guitar and the nurses ran in and said, What did they give him?' and my daughter said, 'Shh, I got him' ," Foxx recalled.
The ceremony featured musical tributes to Foxx, including performances of his hits Unpredictable, Night Time Is the Right Time, and Blame It, by artists such as Kenneth Babyface Edmonds, Ludacris, Tank, Jennifer Hudson, Doug E. Fresh, Teddy Riley, and T-Pain. These tributes celebrated Foxx's multifaceted career and enduring impact on the entertainment industry.
The BET Ultimate Icon Award also celebrated Mariah Carey, Kirk Franklin and Snoop Dogg in this category.