A claim that Academy Award-winning actor Jamie Foxx was hospitalized after being severely injured by the Covid-19 vaccine has gone viral, with millions of social media views and reactions, signifying how much some believe this.
A representative for Foxx stated that the claim is false, but that hasn't prevented anti-vaccination echo chambers on YouTube and Twitter from absorbing and amplifying the claims, according to NBC News.
Even though studies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed that vaccines are safe and effective, the unsubstantiated claim is part of an ongoing effort by some far-right personalities to cast doubt on the safety of vaccines.
The Foxx claim was initially made by a gossip columnist on the online talk program "Ask Dr. Drew." A.J. Benza, a podcaster who previously worked for the New York Daily News, told Dr. Drew Pinsky on his program on May 30 that Foxx was "partially paralyzed and blind" after receiving the Covid vaccine. Benza claimed that Foxx was compelled to receive a vaccination while filming a movie. He claimed to have a source "in the room" with Foxx who told him the actor developed a blood clot that led to a stroke after receiving a vaccination. Pinsky did not contest the assertion.
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Benza failed to identify the source. He did not respond promptly to a request for comment. Representatives of Foxx stated in an email that Benza's claim is "completely false." Although Foxx was hospitalized in April for an undisclosed illness, his daughter Corinne Foxx stated in an Instagram Story post that he had been at home for weeks and was fit to play pickleball.
Nonetheless, this has not prevented Benza's contested claim from going viral on social media. Candace Owens, a far-right commentator with 1.67 million YouTube subscribers, implied that Benza's statement must be true because Foxx's family did not denounce it. Wednesday, Owens' YouTube video discussing Foxx's condition received more than 180,000 views.
"Their silence suggests that there is some truth to this claim," Owens said in the Tuesday-posted YouTube video. "We're all holding our breath to see whether or not Jamie Foxx speaks out." Owens did not respond promptly to a request for comment.
Beyond Owens, dozens of tweets with hundreds or even thousands of likes shared the claim that Foxx had suffered a severe medical condition as a result of the vaccine, in addition to other anti-vaccination sentiments.
A Twitter representative did not respond promptly to a request for comment. Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative organization Talking Points USA, tweeted that he was "infuriated that a decent person like Jamie Foxx fell victim to Big Pharma," while actor Kevin Sorbo shared an article repeating the unsubstantiated claim that Foxx had been injured by the vaccine to his 1.6 million followers and said he was "praying" for Foxx.
Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Kirk, said in a statement to NBC News that Kirk shared the article "so readers could investigate for themselves." "If there were inaccuracies in Benza's reporting or if the family disagrees with his description of the facts, those inquiries should be directed to Mr. Benza," Kolvet stated.
Sorbo representatives did not respond promptly to requests for comment.
On YouTube, hundreds of thousands of views of videos with titles such as "News: Jamie Foxx Left Paralyzed and Blind from Blood Clot in His Brain After Receiving The Shot?!" echoed Benza's claim. and "Jamie Foxx Left Paralyzed and Blind From 'Blood Clot in His Brain' After Vaccine."
Unless the actor clarifies what happened to him, it is best to believe that he has got everything under control.
Back in May and for the first time since his medical emergency in early April, actor-singer Jamie Foxx released a statement saying he is "feeling blessed" by the outpouring of affection from fans, friends, and family. "Appreciate all the love!! Feeling blessed," Foxx said in his photo message on Instagram.
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