A spokesperson for Jamie Foxx has shut down an unsubstantiated claim that the actor and comedian was left "paralyzed and blind" by a COVID-19 vaccine, saying it is "completely inaccurate."
In early April, it was revealed that Oscar-winning Ray star Foxx, 55, had been hospitalized after an unspecified "medical complication." Following weeks of speculation, his daughter, Corinne Foxx, shared in a statement that he was out of the hospital and "recuperating" but his health status remained unknown.
After TMZ reported that the screen star's relatives were spotted visiting him in a Chicago physical rehabilitation facility, on May 30, podcast host and gossip columnist A.J. Benza claimed to know exactly what happened to Foxx, citing his source as "somebody in the room."
Appearing on the Ask Dr. Drew podcast, Benza said: "Jamie had a blood clot in his brain after he got the shot. He did not want the shot, but the movie he was on, he was pressured to get it. The blood clot in the brain caused him at that point to be partially paralyzed and blind."
The claim has been fact-checked by Newsweek, and was found to be wholly unverified, but the rumor has still gone viral online with a number of reputable Twitter users circulating it.
A spokesperson for Foxx has now spoken out on the matter, telling NBC in an emailed statement that the claim is "completely inaccurate."
In the days since Benza's allegations were shared, Foxx has become a figurehead of the anti-vax movement, with a number of conservative commentators using the rumors as apparent evidence of their claims about the COVID-19 vaccines.
Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk weighed in on the rumor, tweeting on June 1: "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."
While this has not been confirmed, several media outlets have reported that Foxx suffered a stroke on the set of his upcoming movie, Back in Action.
Hollywood's mandatory on-set vaccination protocols did not end until May 12, according to Variety, meaning it is possible that Foxx would have had to get a COVID-19 shot to continue working in film and TV. It has not been reported whether he received a vaccination, let alone what kind of vaccine he may have received.
Responding to Kirk's post, musician John Rich wrote: "Jamie Foxx should sue Pfizer...oh that's right, never mind. They have immunity from all the damages they've caused. This story is happening all over the country and no one is doing a damn thing about it. This is the definition of crimes against humanity. Pray for Jamie."
Conservative commentator Candace Owens discussed the matter in an installment of her eponymous podcast posted to YouTube on Tuesday. In the video-titled "What's Going On With Jamie Foxx?"-Owens suggested there may be some "veracity" to Benza's claim because nobody in Foxx's family had denied it at the time.
"I would say, just using common sense, that if this was my family and a person went out and told a viral lie that I suffered a blood clot in my brain because of the COVID-19 vaccine, we would immediately issue a statement, we would condemn the journalist, and my family would call them a liar and say that it's just none of your business."
"But they seem remarkably hush-hush about this and they are choosing to say nothing," continued Owens, an outspoken critic of COVID-19 vaccines. "So their silence seems as though they are suggesting that there is some veracity to this claim."
Multiple medical journals, have said that, while this is extremely rare, some COVID-19 vaccinations can cause blood clots. By contrast, Yale Medicine suggests that researchers have "seen a strong association between blood clots and COVID-19 infection itself."
Yale Medicine has reported that the AstraZeneca-Oxford and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines were associated with a slightly elevated risk of developing blood clots, but COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, like those from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, were not known to have any such side effects.
The government's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System said that of about 18 million people that got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, there were 60 cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (a clotting disorder) reported, and nine people died.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is no longer available in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While Foxx's current condition remains publicly unknown, a thank you note was posted on the actor's Instagram account on May 3, reportedly three weeks after he fell ill. "Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed," read the post.
Newsweek has reached out to representatives of Foxx via email for comment.
Update 06/08/23, 4:26 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include additional information.
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