Jamie Foxx was raised by his adoptive grandmother, Estelle. Although his half-sister was born with special needs, Jamie loved and cared for her, even helping to make her dancing dreams come true. When she was 36, she left this world, leaving a hole in Jamie’s heart.
Jamie Foxx is the star of many high-grossing films, such as “Django Unchained.” Unfortunately, the actor had a rough start in life. His mother had him with her husband after high school, but the marriage didn’t last long. She decided to give Jamie up to continue living her life back in Dallas.
She gave Jamie to the same people who had adopted her – Estelle and Mark Talley. The couple lived around 35 miles east of Dallas in a little town called Terrell, which is where the young Jamie was raised. He learned the truth about his parents early on, but it didn’t matter to him at the time.
The family wasn’t wealthy, but they did what they could to make money. Estelle, nicknamed Granny by Jamie, ran a nursery school and daycare center next to their house. Families in the neighborhood would drop their kids off at Granny’s daycare to be looked after and educated.
Jamie remembered that he had been highly interactive since a young age. He loved watching television as a child, imitating the performers, and learning to tell jokes. He recalled how his Granny commented on his skills:
“This boy’s crazy. He just keeps talking like this television.”
Jamie loved his adoptive grandparents a lot. Since they were an older couple, the young boy learned a lot from them, and when he was 13, they nicknamed him Little Man-Man. They also encouraged him to develop his skills, and he enjoyed playing piano for the church at the time.
Jamie recently suffered health complications while filming his new movie “Back in Action” in Atlanta alongside Glenn Close and Cameron Diaz. He suffered a medical emergency on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 and some of his family who were out of town flew in to see him.
A source close to Jamie said that he was communicating, which was a good sign for the actor’s health. His daughter, Corinne, also gave an update on social media just a day after her father was rushed to the hospital for the emergency.
In the update, she mentioned that her father had suffered a medical emergency the previous day, but did not disclose exactly what had happened. She shared:
“Luckily due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery.”
Corinne went on to mention that the family understood how beloved Fox was because of how many prayers had poured in for him in such a short space of time. She ended the post by asking his fans for privacy during this time.
Jamie Only Later Met His Sister
Jamie had a biological sister, DeOndra Dixon, from his mother, Louise Annette Dixon, and his stepfather George Dixon. The actor met her when he was 16 and held her in his arms when she was just a baby. DeOndra was born with Down syndrome, but that didn’t matter to Jamie.
He recalled that the family doted over the small child, not because she had Down syndrome, but because she was so cute. The two also shared a very close bond since DeOndra was young. The actor opened up about having a sister with special needs:
“One thing people may not understand is that the person with special needs, the love that they give you is unfiltered. There is nothing in the way of them loving you and there is nothing in the way of them being upset with you either.”
DeOndra was also very fond of her older brother and was grateful to have family that she could depend on no matter what. When she graduated from high school, Jamie decided that she should come live with him permanently so he could take care of her.
Jamie not only encouraged his sister to dance, but he also made sure she had the opportunities to do so professionally.
His sister wasn’t the only family member he invited to come live with him, but he said that his sister was always his main focus. He remembered being very worried about how she would care for herself as an adult, spurring him to take her in.
However, DeOndra was a very well-adjusted individual. Her mother had always insisted that she be treated with respect but not like she couldn’t do things on her own. But, under her brother’s wing, DeOndra found the opportunity to flourish.
Jamie Nurtured His Sister’s Talents
DeOndra has been energetic ever since she was young. When she was in the 6th grade, she started participating in the Special Olympics. She continued for over nine years, winning several awards for her performances.
Jamie posted on social media, lamenting the loss of his sister.
But what she truly loved was to dance. Her brother laughingly said that she has always been the dance battle queen in the family. Jamie also felt he had the opportunity and responsibility to nurture his sister’s love of dance.
Jamie not only encouraged his sister to dance, but he also made sure she had the opportunities to do so professionally. He asked her to dance in his music video for “Blame It!,” he helped her dance throughout the country, and she danced at the Grammys.
She also had her brother’s support when she turned to activism. She stood up for others with her condition as the Ambassador for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation and has won awards for advocacy. DeOndra also hoped to find love:
“I want a boyfriend, I want to get married pretty soon and I hope I get married to Chris Brown because he’s my man.”
DeOndra also taught her brother and her family many things. Jamie commented that he learned worries about material things were inconsequential when he looked at how happy his sister was when she was dancing.
Jamie Lost His Sister
Unfortunately, she passed away on October 19, 2020, leaving her brother and her family heartbroken. Jamie posted on social media, lamenting the loss of his sister. The Oscar winner shared his grief with his followers, saying:
“My heart is shattered into a million pieces… my beautiful loving sister Deondra has transitioned… I say transitioned because she will always be alive…”
He went on, gushing that his sister was a bright light for anyone who met her. He also mentioned her love of dance and said his pain at her passing is tremendous, but he thinks fondly of all the memories they shared.
In an interview, Jamie mentioned the rest of his family and said they were all shocked and heartbroken at DeOndra’s sudden passing. He noted that the family members dealt with the pain by remembering the good times:
“A few times Chris Brown would just stop by unannounced and just dance with my sister… All of those little things we will remember and will continuously remember her in a joyous way.”
They are all slowly working through the aftermath of DeOndra’s death, and the actor said it’s getting easier as time progresses, but they all still miss her tremendously. In his Instagram post, he also said the family would get back on track with the memory of her love.
Jamie admitted how proud he was of his sister for always being strong and advocating for others with Down syndrome. In another post, he said he knew DeOndra was in heaven, making everyone with her laugh.
