Jamie Foxx's Divorced Mom and Dad Live with Him in the Same House

Jamie Foxx and his parents live under the same roof. While being so close certainly has its perks, it also comes with its downsides and awkward moments, particularly because his parents divorced over two decades ago and his father still brings his dates around.

Foxx shared the story when he appeared on The Graham Norton Show in January 2020, recounting several stories where his mother checked in on his dad’s dates and his father's desire for privacy.

But Foxx and his parents haven’t always been such a close-knit group. In fact, he was left by his parents to be raised by his grandmother when he was just seven months old. Even after he later reconnected with his parents, his father’s incarceration was a wall that separated the two.

How Foxx’s Parents Came To Live With Him

The Django Unchained star credits his grandmother for turning him into who he is. But aside from his grandmother, his father was also instrumental to his success.

Foxx has shared that both his grandmother and father wanted him to move ahead in life by overcoming the challenges that came his way because of his skin color.

His grandmother got him to learn the piano, which paved his way to college and initial success, while his father, who was an educator, taught him many things including how to play tennis.

The actor’s father, Darrell Bishop, was incarcerated for seven years for the possession of illegal substances worth $25. He recounted the story on The Graham Norton Show of how he didn’t visit his father in jail.

I told my pops, ‘I can’t come see you cause I see you as a king.’ But I wrote him a letter. I said, ‘hey things have gotten good for me. When you get out, I will save your life.’ And he’s been living with me for 20 years.

As for his mother, she joined Foxx for Christmas around 2007/2008 and stayed for her birthday celebration on New Year. Before he realized it was February, and she hadn’t left. So, the three started living in the same house.

Jamie Foxx’s Grandmother

Foxx has left his mark on multiple places — from Tarantino flicks to comedy stages and even music. But he wouldn’t have been able to find such success without the upbringing of his grandmother, Estelle Marie Talley, who adopted him when he was 7 months old and had him classically trained as a pianist from the age of 5.

The actor shared why his grandmother pushed him to learn all those skills during a 2012 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

My grandmother said, ‘I’m going to give you all the things that I wanted to give to my other children but they were a little too old to understand.’ So she said `I’m going to make sure you play the piano cause I think that can get you on the other side of the tracks’.

Foxx’s grandmother, whom he attributes all his success to, passed away in 2004. The actor has said that he feels her presence every day.