Redd Foxx was many things: a comedy genius, a trailblazer, a master of timing. But he was also unpredictable—and sometimes self-destructive.
In Season 4, during the taping of a much-anticipated guest-star episode, Foxx showed up clearly intoxicated. Slurring lines. Missing marks. Laughing mid-scene.
The producers panicked. NBC was on set. Sponsors were watching from the rafters.
But here’s the catch: Foxx had complete creative control written into his contract. They couldn’t fire him. Couldn’t dock his pay. Not without voiding the show’s syndication rights.
Instead, they paused production for two days and rewrote half the episode to include more Lamont scenes—effectively working around Fred.
And when Foxx returned, sober and sharp, he delivered a performance so good they kept most of it.
To this day, fans wonder why Fred Sanford seemed “off” in that episode. Now you know.
And Foxx? When asked later about the incident, he just grinned and said, “I had a headache. A tequila headache.”
