Jamie Foxx Breaks Down in Tears at BET Awards 2025

It was an emotional night for Jamie Foxx at the 2025 BET Awards.

On Monday evening, Foxx was recognized with the Ultimate Icon Honor, which was presented by the legendary Stevie Wonder.

Stevie reflected on meeting Jamie for the first time, saying, “Jamie. Jamie! Look at me. Listen, you know, I remember seeing you the first time at a club playing the piano and singing. But I knew from the moment I heard you sing that you had so much more. I admire and celebrate your talent."

He added, “I'm very happy to be here tonight to see you honored as you very well deserve.”

Jamie embraced Wonder before his tearful acceptance speech.

Foxx said, “Man, we used to take this thing for granted — that God is good. All the time. I cannot even begin to express the love that I feel from everybody out there."

Recalling his near-death crisis when he suffered a brain bleed and stroke in 2024, Jamie noted, “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 turn down. I'm not going to turn down."

Asking for “one more crack” at life from God, Jamie added, “I said, ‘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.”

Jamie also mentioned his Netflix special “Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…,” saying, “When I did my special, it was for the Black people. Black people was the ones that said, 'Man, we got you.' Not to say that white people can't pray either — I know that sounds weird, but y'all know what I'm saying.”

He stressed, “It's like, you guys held me down. And I don't want to make this whole speech about that, but you can't go through something like that and not testify."

Showing his love and appreciation for his team, Foxx said, “Thanks so much for pulling me through. I'm seasoned. I don't want to say I'm old, but I am older. So, usually at this time, at this age, you're playing that father on Disney. You know, you got that big-ass sweater and the coffee mug? But luckily, I have a great team that stabilized me."

He also gave a major shout-out to his family, especially his daughter Corinne, 31. He raved, “I cannot say enough about you. 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."

Foxx didn’t forget daughter Anelise, 16, though! He said, “My baby with the big hair. She hides under that hair because she's got something special. You're so beautiful, man."

Recalling when he was “fighting for [his] life” and his vitals were “bad,” Foxx commented, “She snuck into my hospital room with her guitar and said, 'I know what my daddy need.' And as she played the guitar, my vitals dropped.”

Aside from Stevie, Babyface, Jennifer Hudson and T-Pain also took the stage with performances to pay homage to Foxx.

Following the show, Jamie celebrated his award with family and friends at members only social club, Gravitas, in Beverly Hills.