Jamie Foxx says Kevin Hart’s roast made him cut jokes from his new stand-up special

Ahead of “Take Care of Yourself,” Foxx opened up about changing audiences, controversial comedy and his new perspective after a life-threatening health crisis.

Jamie Foxx says he cut some material from his new stand-up special after watching how audiences reacted to jokes during Kevin Hart’s controversial roast. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Foxx also addressed Tony Hinchcliffe’s George Floyd joke, his decision to avoid podcast appearances and how his near-fatal health scare changed his approach to comedy.

“Take Care of Yourself” premieres Oct. 7 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. Foxx said the reaction to Hart’s roast made him reconsider some of the material he planned to use in the new special.

“After that Kevin Hart roast, I had to cut everything,” Foxx told THR, explaining that he felt audiences had become more sensitive to certain jokes.

Jamie Foxx said the experience reinforced his desire to keep his comedy from becoming unnecessarily hurtful while still allowing himself room to discuss difficult or personal subjects. He specifically addressed the controversy surrounding a George Floyd joke delivered by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe during the Netflix roast special, saying plainly that he “didn’t like the George Floyd sh-t at all.”

Foxx also said he does not want to appear on podcasts such as Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay.” The comedian said he believes some podcast environments can reward increasingly provocative statements because of the way controversial clips perform online. Foxx referenced Katt Williams’ widely discussed “Club Shay Shay” interview and said he did not want to feel pressured to say something extreme simply to generate attention.

Foxx also dismissed the idea of publicly responding to Williams after Williams criticized his previous Netflix special. Instead, Foxx said criticism gives comedians material to work with and revealed that he and Williams are working together on a project he described as being “right around the corner.” “Take Care of Yourself” arrives two years after Foxx’s previous stand-up special, “What Had Happened Was…” The new special reflects on the perspective Foxx developed after suffering a brain bleed and stroke in 2023.

Foxx acknowledged that some comedians criticized his previous special for not being funny enough. He explained that after coming through a life-threatening health crisis, he was not approaching comedy in exactly the same way. The new special mixes political humor, jokes about aging, celebrities and Foxx himself with more personal reflections about family, recovery and his changing perspective on life. Beyond comedy, Foxx said he wants his next projects to leave audiences impressed, including his upcoming sports drama “Fight for ’84.”