Country singer John Rich lashes out at Pfizer amid Jamie Foxx vaccine rumor (2024)

Country music star John Rich has lashed out at Pfizer amid unsubstantiated rumors that Jamie Foxx was left "paralyzed and blind" by a COVID-19 vaccine.

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 remains 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.

Amid the ongoing speculation, Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk opined on the rumor, writing on Twitter: "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.

Musician Rich, who is part of the group Big & Rich, responded to Kirk's post: "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."

The posts reflect how 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 vaccines.

Pharmaceutical companies are protected from liability regarding COVID-19 vaccines. If someone has an allergic reaction or falls ill after having one of the vaccines, they can petition to receive compensation from the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP).

The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which also falls under the jurisdiction of HHS, has a better record of providing compensation to people who claim injury from a vaccine than CICP but covers vaccines for diseases such as polio and seasonal influenza, not COVID-19.

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.