Jamie Foxx didn't just show up to the 2026 BET Awards as a fan. He showed up as a proud father - and brought the proof with him.
The Oscar winner took the stage alongside his 17-year-old daughter Anelise Bishop at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles Sunday night, with Foxx on piano and Anelise on guitar, as Kehlani opened the show with a performance of her hit "Folded." "This is my daughter Anelise, give it up," Foxx told the crowd, adding that the two had been "vibing out to" the song all year.
The moment landed differently for anyone who knows the backstory.
After Foxx's 2023 medical emergency, Anelise was at his side - and music was part of what pulled him through. In his 2024 Netflix special, Foxx recalled that Anelise's guitar playing caused his vitals to calm: "The nurses at the nurses station were baffled. Like, 'Wow, what did they give him?' They rushed into the room and she said, 'Ssh. I got him.'" His conclusion then: "God was in that guitar. That's my spiritual defibrillator."
Backstage at the BET Awards, Foxx reflected again on what his daughter means to him: "You went beyond medicine... And played a miracle... I cannot wait for the world to hear your music... Because I know you're gonna bless the world... The way you blessed me."
Backed by a full orchestra, Kehlani's performance gave "Folded" a new, intimate dimension - the singer later told Billboard it was her final major performance of the song.
