He made the world laugh for decades, but Redd Foxx’s final chapter was far from a Hollywood ending. The man who was Fred Sanford — quick with an insult and always one heart attack away from “joining Elizabeth” — died broke and underappreciated by the industry he helped change.
In 1991, Foxx collapsed from a real heart attack on the set of The Royal Family. Tragically, many thought he was joking — his infamous Sanford and Son routine had been burned into pop culture.
At the time of his death, Foxx owed hundreds of thousands in back taxes, and Hollywood had long stopped calling. But those who knew him — like Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor — called him a genius. Eddie even paid for his funeral.
“He opened the door for all of us,” Murphy said. “He was a king, and we treated him like a clown.”
Redd Foxx may have died in debt, but he left behind riches in laughs — and a legacy that shaped Black comedy forever.
