Jamie Foxx is taking a more guarded approach to celebrity comedy in his new stand-up special, Take Care of Yourself, after the response to Kevin Hart’s controversial roast prompted him to remove material from the show.
“After that Kevin Hart roast, I had to cut everything,” Foxx said when asked whether any jokes had been dropped from the special.
Foxx pointed to heightened sensitivity around personal material, while making clear that he also objected to Tony Hinchcliffe’s George Floyd joke during the Netflix roast.
“The roast was whatever you thought it was, but when they take the jokes so personally — and it is personal; I didn’t like the George Floyd shit at all — but when you see people respond to certain things, you go, ‘Okay, man, maybe we need to tuck that away,’” he said.
The comedian added that he wanted the new hour to remain fresh without putting anyone “into a pretzel.” One joke that did not make the finished special focused on Foxx watching his hip-hop heroes grow older, including his reaction to seeing Deion Sanders discussing Depends in a commercial and Halle Berry talking about menopause.
A Lighter Follow-Up to His Health Story
Take Care of Yourself arrives on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ on Oct. 7, two years after Foxx’s previous stand-up special, What Had Happened Was… That Netflix production was taped in 2024, one year after Foxx suffered a brain bleed that led to a stroke and nearly cost him his life.
While the earlier show confronted that experience directly, the new special continues Foxx’s story with more jokes and fewer tears. Its title reflects a recurring part of getting older, he explained: People are less likely to ask what is happening in his life and more likely to tell him to take care of himself.
The routine includes jokes about Foxx and other celebrities in his age group, along with impersonations of Denzel Washington, LeBron James, Dave Chappelle and Shannon Sharpe. Foxx also targets Kim Kardashian and Donald Trump, as well as Trump voters.
Discussing the balance between politics and stand-up, Foxx said he will use political material when he can find the comedy in it. He also stated plainly where he stands: “I’m a Democrat. I ain’t never changing.”
Despite the lighter tone, Foxx acknowledged becoming emotional near the end of the show, shortly before sitting at the piano. He pushed back on comedians who complained that What Had Happened Was… was not funny, arguing that the circumstances demanded something different from a conventional comedy set.
“I almost died,” Foxx said. “When you almost died, you’re not going to be like, ‘knock knock, who’s there.’ You got to get into it.”
Foxx described himself as still transitioning toward better health. In Take Care of Yourself, he said, he has more energy while continuing to talk candidly about his life, what other people say about him and his daughter joining him onstage to play.
Why He Is Staying Away From Podcasts
Foxx also ruled out an appearance on Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay, saying he does not want to participate in podcasts because of the pressure to make explosive comments that will perform well online.
“It seems like you get in trouble,” he said. “It seems like if you don’t say something so crazy, you can’t really move the algorithm.”
He cited Katt Williams’ interview as an example, though Foxx emphasized that he has no problem with Williams criticizing his previous special. Foxx said adversity gives comedians something to address, and he revealed that the two are working together on an unspecified project.
Foxx said his outlook changed after his health crisis and questioned why Williams did not already have a movie built around him. He described the planned project as “right around the corner,” but did not disclose whether it would be a feature film or another form of comedy.
Family and His Next Chapter
At 58, Foxx is also preparing to welcome his third child. He said he is not nervous about starting over as a father because he loves children and misses the early years of parenting.
Foxx said his oldest daughter, 32, runs the company, while his 17-year-old — soon to turn 18 — has what he described as the biggest Halloween festival in Southern California.
Professionally, Foxx said he is grateful to be working and wants his next projects to surprise audiences. He specifically expressed confidence in Fight for ’84, one of two upcoming sports dramas referenced during the conversation.
For now, however, Take Care of Yourself captures Foxx in the middle of that transition: healthier, more energized and ready to joke again, but increasingly aware of where he wants to draw the line. The special streams Oct. 7 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.