Although Jamie Foxx’s parents abandoned him as a kid, he never took it out on them, opting instead to lend them a helping hand after attaining success.
Jamie Foxx had a rough childhood and was starved of his parents’ love, who walked away from his life following their divorce. At the time, the actor was only seven months old and barely remembered what it felt like to have them around.
Thankfully, his grandparents took him in, adopting him as their own and raising him in Terrell, Texas. All the while, his birth parents resided close by but never attempted to acknowledge him as their own nor show him parental love.
Yet, under his grandparents, he grew to know what it felt like to be loved. Foxx once admitted that despite not having his parents around, he was never short on the love of a mother and a father, as his grandmother filled both roles in his life without defaulting.
The star admittedly owes everything he accomplished in life to his grandma. Not only did she shower him with love but instilled confidence in him, encouraging him to rely on his abilities.
He recalled his grandma, Estelle Marie, enrolling him in piano classes as early as five. She continued pushing him up various ladders until the icon won himself a classical piano scholarship to the United States International University in San Diego.
Just before leaving to forge his path in life, Foxx’s grandmother reminded him that the trail was how he would make his money. Those words gave him the knowledge he needed to be a successful young man.
Jamie Foxx learned various vital lessons throughout his stay with his now-deceased grandmother. However, what he deemed most important was the lesson on the confidence she bestowed on him through the love she and Foxx’s grandfather extended.
Sadly, the “Ray” star lost his grandmother in October 2004, years after his grandfather’s demise. Estelle, who was 95 then, passed away from Alzheimer’s.
The icon honored his late grandmother four months after her demise by dedicating his 2004 Oscar win to her strength, courage, and care before millions of viewers.
Years later, Foxx still considers his late grandmother a role model. The same cannot be said of his biological mom, who lived near his grandmother’s home but never came through for him.
Admittedly, he spent years yearning for his mom’s presence at Christmas and school events because she was good-looking and had a great taste in fashion that depicted a “city-girl.”
However, that admiration never motivated him to idolize her as he did with his grandparents. His relationship with his mom, Louise Talley Dixon, was even more strained knowing his mom eventually welcomed a daughter and opted to care for her while he remained abandoned.
To date, the star admits he and his sister remain estranged as a result. Like his mom, Foxx’s dad, who also lived close by, about 28 miles from his grandparents’ home, never tried to check on him.
The actor believed his dad decided to cut him off due to their differing religion. His dad once confirmed those suspicions, saying he could not be his dad since he was a Muslim while Foxx wasn’t.
Years later, he got to confront his father about the choices that haunted him for years. Foxx recalled:
“During our last conversation, after my grandmother passed, I said, ‘Listen, I understand observing your religion. But is that worth missing out on your son’s life?’”
Asked how his parents’ absence affected him, the singer admitted it left no void in his heart, as he never knew their personalities. All that mattered to him was that the two people who raised him cared for him deeply and loved them in return.
OVERLOOKING OLD WOUNDS
At some point in his life, Jamie Foxx’s dad, Darrell Bishop, ended up in jail for possessing $25 worth of illegal substances. This landed him seven years in prison.
Foxx admitted he never visited his dad for once during his stint in jail. According to him, he never liked jail visits, and he never wanted to ruin the image he had of his father as a “king.”
Instead, he wrote him a jail letter apologizing for being unable to visit and letting him know he had become a successful man. But also promised to save his dad’s life once he gets released from jail.
Despite their previously strained relationship, Foxx made do with his promise, letting his dad live with him following his release. The two have resided together for over twenty years.
Interestingly, the “Just Mercy” star also reserved a spot for his mother. He once went candid about extending a helping hand to her, ultimately leading to them cohabiting together. He divulged:
“I would always send her a ticket to come and visit, and about 12 years ago, she took me up on the offer, and she came for Christmas. New year came and went, then her birthday in January, and then suddenly, it was February, and she hadn’t left.”
Years later, Dixon still resides in her son’s house, living under the same roof as her ex-husband. The two go about their lives separately and look out for each other while dating other people.
Despite his sad recollection of his childhood without them, the Oscar-winner doesn’t seem to mind the unconventional living conditions. He was content knowing he was in a position to help them in his little way and keep his family together. Foxx, a father of two, described his home as a “weirdly fun household.” So far, he has built a great relationship with his mom.
For her birthday in 2021, the father of two paid tribute to her on Instagram, with several photos of them enjoying the good times. He also admitted to loving his mom with all his heart, describing her as the woman who made him.