Fact Check: Was Jamie Foxx Left 'Paralyzed and Blind' by COVID Vaccine?

Information about Jamie Foxx's medical condition has been scarce, but some are now alleging that the actor has been left "paralyzed and blind" due to a COVID vaccine.

In early April, it was revealed that 55-year-old Foxx was hospitalized after an unspecified "medical complication." In May, his daughter Corinne Foxx confirmed he was out of the hospital and "recuperating," but the status of his health remains unknown.

With so much unknown about the Oscar winner's condition and the cause of his illness, many have speculated on the causes of this "complication."

The Claim

Several popular Twitter users have suggested that Foxx's recent medical issues were brought about due to complications caused by the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Hodgetwins, a conservative comedy duo with 2 million Twitter followers, repeated the claims that he'd been left "paralyzed and blind" because of "the COVID shot." Their tweet was viewed 2.5 million times with around 20,000 likes, retweets and comments. A Twitter account with 1.7 million followers called @catturd2 also retweeted the Hodgetwins post, writing: "I hope people will finally wake up to the evil demons who forced this BS on everyone."

The claims were first made by gossip columnist and podcast host A.J. Benza during an appearance on May 30 on the Ask Dr. Drew podcast, hosted by the popular media personality and physician, Dr. Drew Pinsky.

"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," Benza told the host of the podcast. "The blood clot in the brain caused him at that point to be partially paralyzed and blind."

Benza himself admitted to not having first-hand information, but that his source was "somebody in the room" who told him that "Jamie had a blood clot in his brain."

Benza also refuted the claims that Corinne Foxx made about her father's health in an Instagram statement posted on May 12.

"Sad to see how the media runs wild. My dad has been out of the hospital for weeks, recuperating," she wrote on her Instagram story. "In fact, he was playing pickleball yesterday! Thanks for everyone's prayers and support!"

Benza accused Corinne of lying and said, "It was all baloney what they were reporting. 'He's playing pickleball. he's responding.' No he's not. It's all lies."

The Facts

Benza made multiple claims about Foxx's health and the circumstances surrounding his illness, all of which at this point are unsubstantiated.

The only information made public about Foxx's health is that he was suffering after a "medical complication." His family was seen last month reportedly visiting him at a physical rehabilitation center in Chicago, according to TMZ. Neither Corinne nor any other member of Foxx's family has given a specific update on his health since her Instagram statement.

Foxx's Instagram account was updated on May 3, reportedly three weeks after he was admitted to hospital. The actor simply wrote in a post, "Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed."

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.

During their exchange, Dr. Drew clarified that when Benza said Foxx had a "blood clot in the brain," this was incorrect and that he probably meant he had a stroke which, in this case, would be caused by a blood clot blocking the blood vessels to the brain.

Multiple medical journals, have said that, while this is extremely rare, some COVID-19 vaccinations can cause blood clots in the body. 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 Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, were not known to do the same.

The government's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System reported 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 (CDC).

Hollywood's mandatory on-set vaccination protocols ended on May 12, according to Variety, meaning it is possible that Foxx would have had to get a vaccine in order to continue working in film and TV. It has not been reported whether he did receive a vaccination, let alone what kind of vaccine he may have received.

The Ruling

Unverified.

While the specifics of Foxx's illness have not been confirmed, there is no evidence available to support the claim that he was left "paralyzed and blind." In addition, there is no evidence that his "medical complication" was related to a COVID vaccine.

There has been a medically recognized marginal rise in blood clot complications seemingly caused by certain COVID vaccines, but there is zero evidence that this has anything to do with Foxx's situation.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team