Jamie Foxx couldn’t maintain again the tears on Monday evening (June 9) as he accepted the Final Icon Award on the 2025 BET Awards.
The Again In Motion star acquired emotional as he mirrored on his 2023 well being scare and his “second likelihood” at life. “Man, we used to take this factor with no consideration—that God is nice, on a regular basis,” he stated. “I can not even start to specific the love that I really feel from all people on the market.”
“I gotta be trustworthy, after I noticed the In Memoriam, I used to be like, man, it might have been me,” he continued, tearing up. “I don’t know why I went via what I went via, however I do know my second likelihood, I’m not gonna flip down.”
Foxx skilled a medical emergency whereas filming his Netflix film Again in Motion in Atlanta in April 2023. He spent a number of weeks in hospital and a bodily rehabilitation heart. In his 2024 Netflix particular, What Had Occurred Was…, he revealed he suffered a near-fatal stroke.
In his heartfelt BET Awards speech, the Oscar-winning actor acknowledged, “I’ve a lot love to provide. I informed him [God], I stated, man, simply give me yet another crack at this. I stated, for no matter cause you set this on me, I promise I’m gonna do proper. And I’m gonna do proper in entrance of y’all ’trigger I do know a variety of occasions after we get on, we overlook about the place we come from.”
He added, “Once I did my particular, it was in entrance of Black folks. Black folks had been those that stated, ‘man, we acquired you.’ To not say that white folks can’t pray both. I do know that sounds bizarre, however y’all know what I’m saying. It’s such as you guys held me down, and I don’t need to make this entire speech about that, however you’ll be able to’t undergo one thing like that and never testify.”
Foxx additionally thanked his daughters, Corinne and Anelise, for all the time being by his facet and serving to him via his restoration. He recalled Anelise sneaking her guitar into the hospital to play for him whereas he was recovering. “As she performed the guitar, my vitals dropped,” he shared, including, “I knew God was in that guitar.”
Wrapping up his speech, Foxx thanked BET for the Icon Award, noting, “I say this on a regular basis: thanks to Black folks and the Black award, as a result of that is what actually counts. Lots of people assume just like the Oscars is the most important factor, and we acquired to give up considering like that. And that’s coming from an individual who received an Oscar; I used to be nominated twice. However the Icon Award is crucial award as a result of it comes from us.”
You’ll be able to watch Foxx’s full speech within the video above.