Comedy has transformed from harmless entertainment into a high-stakes minefield where one misplaced punchline can detonate across the internet. The 2022 Oscars slap showed how quickly a joke could leave the stage and become something much larger.

Then came Netflix’s Roast of Kevin Hart, where Tony Hinchcliffe’s George Floyd material drew fierce criticism online. Jamie Foxx watched that reaction while shaping his own return to stand-up. With Take Care of Yourself heading to Hulu, the veteran entertainer admitted that the backlash made him reconsider what survived the edit, including material involving Halle Berry.

Jamie Foxx says audiences becoming too sensitive changed his special

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter while promoting Take Care of Yourself, Jamie Foxx was asked whether material from his Halle Berry segment had been removed. His answer revealed how strongly the reaction to Netflix’s Kevin Hart roast had affected his editing decisions.

“Because people became too sensitive,” Foxx said, explaining that seeing viewers take certain roast jokes personally made him reconsider material he had planned to use.

Foxx drew a line around one controversial moment himself. He told The Hollywood Reporter he disliked Hinchcliffe’s George Floyd joke and understood why audiences reacted strongly to it. Still, watching the wider response convinced him that some jokes were better tucked away. The concern was less about abandoning comedy altogether and more about keeping his act fresh without forcing material into territory that could overwhelm everything surrounding it. 

One discarded idea centered on the strange experience of watching his generation age in public. Foxx recalled seeing Deion Sanders promoting Depends and hearing Halle Berry discuss menopause, moments that made him realize the stars who once represented youth and swagger were entering a different chapter. The punchline was ultimately aimed at himself. Foxx joked that these reminders confirmed he had reached “Triple OG” status, turning aging into the target rather than Berry herself.

Foxx may be trimming his stand-up arsenal, but his next project puts him somewhere with considerably less room to escape.

Deadlocked puts Jamie Foxx inside a courthouse siege

Jamie Foxx is heading to Victoria, Australia, for Amazon MGM Studios’ action thriller Deadlocked. Production is beginning across Melbourne, Docklands, and Port Melbourne, with local streets doubling for New York City. Reports suggest that the shoot is expected to inject roughly $36 million into Victoria’s economy and employ hundreds of local cast and crew members.

Directed by Kill filmmaker Nikhil Bhat, Deadlocked follows Foxx as a grieving former Marine called for jury duty. A high-profile trial erupts into a hostage crisis when the defendant’s daughter seizes the courthouse in an attempt to free her father, forcing Foxx’s character to rely on skills from his military past.

Sasha Calle, Kiki Layne, and Luke Hemsworth join Foxx in the ensemble, with their character details currently under wraps. Amazon MGM Studios is producing the film, and reports indicate a global Prime Video release, though no release date has been announced.

What do you think about Jamie Foxx cutting jokes after seeing the reaction to the Kevin Hart roast? Let us know in the comments.