Kehlani reflects on longtime bond with Jamie Foxx after emotional BET Awards toast

Jamie Foxx celebrated Kehlani’s BET Awards performance by honoring how far she’s come since first meeting her as a young teen with big talent and bigger dreams.

Kehlani’s BET Awards weekend came with more than applause. It came with a deeply personal moment nearly 18 years in the making.

Following her BET Awards performance and wins, Kehlani shared a heartfelt reflection on Instagram about her longtime connection to Jamie Foxx, revealing that she first met the Oscar-winning entertainer as a teenager when she and her band drove to Los Angeles to perform.

In the post, Kehlani said she was “like 13 or 14” when she and her band were invited to Foxx’s home. At the time, they thought they were about to get signed. Instead, she said Foxx simply recognized their talent and wanted to guide them.

“Whole time, he just thought we were epic and wanted to guide us in any way possible,” she wrote.

Years later, the two were celebrating a very different kind of moment. In a video shared from a dinner toast, Foxx praised Kehlani’s journey, her survival and the artistry she brought to the BET stage.

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“She was 13 years old at my house,” Foxx said, recalling a young Kehlani with “eyes wide open” who wanted to share her talents.

Foxx also spoke to the dangers that can surround young artists trying to find their way in the entertainment industry.

“The wolves were out,” he said, adding that Kehlani “dodged the wolves” and became the artist fans know today.

Referencing her BET Awards performance, Foxx described the moment as “orchestral” and “beautiful,” saying she took the stage to places audiences “didn’t know” they could go.

“You’re amazing, and you will continue to fly,” he said. “Kehlani, it is your time.”

Kehlani’s caption made clear how much the moment meant to her. She thanked Foxx “for this day, for that day when I was a kid” and for “all the life” he continues to speak into her.

“You got family in me 4L,” she wrote, tagging Foxx. “To us!”

The exchange offered a rare look at the kind of behind-the-scenes encouragement that can shape an artist long before the world knows their name. For Kehlani, the BET stage was the public win. But Foxx’s toast showed the private history behind it: a young performer who kept going, an industry veteran who remembered her from the beginning and an artist now standing firmly in her moment.