Jamie Foxx brought his youngest daughter Anelise Bishop onstage to perform with him in his new Netflix special, “What Had Happened Was…” in a moving moment that had him in tears.
During the special, the Oscar winner spoke candidly about his 2023 medical emergency that had been a mystery, explaining he had a brain bleed that led to a stroke, ultimately rendering him unconscious in a hospital for weeks.
“My vitals were so bad, they were going to lose me. And that’s when a miracle happened, and that miracle was working through my youngest daughter. She’s 14,” he said, referring to Anelise. According to Foxx’s Instagram, Anelise turned 16 in 2024.
“I didn’t want her to see me like that, but she snuck into my hospital room with her guitar. And she says, ‘I know what my daddy needs.’”
Foxx, 56, remained silent for a few moments before continuing. He told the audience she used to carry her guitar with her all the time, starting at the age of 10.
“And they said, when she was playing, my vitals went down,” he said, noting that the changes “baffled” the nurses. His daughter asked medical staff to keep quiet when they came into him room while she played.
Foxx concluded her guitar had a spiritual quality.
“You know what I found out? It was God in that guitar,” he said. “That’s my spiritual defibrillator.”
His daughter then walked onto the stage with her guitar and they shared a hug while Foxx cried and the crowd roared.
“When you think about, as you grow older, you wonder about the hard times. Who’s going to be there? Who’s actually going to be there? I don’t have to wonder that anymore,” he said.
During the special, Anelise sat down and played the guitar while the “Collateral” star stood over her, repeatedly saying, “Play” to her as the tears continued. He urged her to let the people see her talent.
“That’s Anelise,” he said as she wrapped up. The audience again applauded.
“Thank you so much for stepping up when all was lost,” he told her.
Anelise responded, “You had to make it because I always dreamed that we’d perform together onstage one day.”
The pair then put on a spoken word performance together that turned into a song about Foxx’s ordeal while images of them appeared on a screen behind them.
After they wrapped up, Foxx took a few steps backward to put the spotlight on Anelise. The crowd cheered while she bowed.
“I love you,” he told her.