Corinne Foxx began experiencing endometriosis symptoms with her first period at age 12. The pain peaked in 2018 when she was 24 and still had no diagnosis.
“It became so intense that I would keel over and pray that I would pass out so I could go to the hospital,” she said. “I was lying on my bathroom floor one day when my roommate—one of my close girlfriends—said, ‘This isn’t normal.’ That was the first time anybody had said to me, ‘This isn’t normal.’”
Foxx will be honored at the 11th Annual Blossom Ball in New York City on March 20. She has been an ambassador for EndoFound since 2021.
“This is so full circle for me,” Foxx said. “When I was first diagnosed, I watched the Blossom Ball speeches from Halsey (in 2018) and Lena Dunham (in 2016), and they got me through some really dark days. Now I want to give hope to somebody like those women did for me.”
Foxx is the co-host of the Fox television game show Beat Shazam with her father—actor and comedian Jamie Foxx. She also was Miss Golden Globe at the 2016 Golden Globe Awards and appeared in the movies Safety and 47 Meters Down: Uncaged. Most recently, she served as an executive producer on the 2023 documentary Below the Belt, which exposes healthcare issues through the eyes of endometriosis patients.
Foxx started sharing her story publicly just before joining EndoFound.
“I always thought the symptoms I first felt were normal ones that came with a period,” she said. “You’re taught in school that periods hurt, that you’re just having cramps, but nobody tells you to what extent that should be happening.”
After the incident on her bathroom floor in 2018, Foxx sought help. But like so many women with endometriosis, doctors continually dismissed her claims.
“I went from doctor to doctor and experienced a lot of neglect and minimizing of my symptoms,” she said. “It took me about five to six doctors before I even heard the word endometriosis.”
Foxx said when she finally found a specialist and surgeon who listened to her and diagnosed her with the disease, “It was like a veil had been lifted.” She had surgery in October 2018 and said she had endometriosis on her bladder, uterus, and bowel, and her cul-de-sac was obliterated.
“My surgeon said it was so deep that it potentially started developing when I was in the womb,” she said. “That’s how bad it was.”
Since the surgery, Foxx said she’s been more mindful of what she eats and drinks, especially inflammatory foods and beverages such as gluten, dairy, and alcohol.
“I’d say from where I started before surgery, I’m 75 percent better than I was,” Foxx said. “There are still some really hard days when my body just won’t agree with me, but the surgery was life-changing. I’m definitely in a way better place.”
Discovering that she had endometriosis led Foxx to another surprising revelation.
“When I told my family about the diagnosis, I learned that my grandmother and aunt had had it,” Foxx said. “My grandmother had two surgeries, one at 18 and one at 30, and I never knew. We just weren’t transparent about that kind of thing, and I never thought to ask them questions.”
One of Foxx’s missions with EndoFound is encouraging families to talk with one another about their medical issues and share their medical history.
“I have two sisters who are 14 and 15 years old, and I am very vocal about this running in our family,” Foxx said. “I tell them that if they experience ‘XYZ,’ they may have endometriosis, and we know what to do so that they won’t have to go through what I went through.”
Foxx is particularly close to her father but said none of this was easy for her to discuss with him.
“When I was going through my diagnosis journey and trying to figure out what was going on, I didn’t feel comfortable sharing that information with my dad. It’s an intimate area of your body that can be uncomfortable to talk to your father about,” Foxx said. “When I finally did tell him, he was so supportive. My entire family was super supportive and right beside me when I was wheeled off to surgery.”
Another of Foxx’s missions is to shed more light on the mental aspect of endometriosis. She partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in 2017 after revealing an anxiety disorder she’s had since she was 14. She sees a natural connection between her work with NAMI and EndoFound.
“There is mental anguish that goes with the chronic pain from endometriosis and being debilitated from everyday life, and it’s a conversation we need to have,” Foxx said. “For me, it was very isolating. I experienced medical gaslighting, told by doctors that my pain wasn’t real, and there’s a lot of trauma in that. I’ve had to work through that experience with a therapist, and I’ve learned that my diagnosis journey was about trusting my gut and finding my voice. I had to really believe in myself.”
She’s continued to find that voice with Below the Belt. The documentary is currently being shown in select cities nationwide and has been backed by several other prominent figures, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Orrin Hatch, and Rosario Dawson.
“I’m doing anything I can to help get this film in front of as many people as possible,” Foxx said. “I hosted the premiere here in Los Angeles, and now we’re in talks to distribute it on a streaming platform.”
She knows the more she speaks and stays involved in bringing awareness to the disease, the more likely she is to give another person hope.
“I couldn’t have imagined that one day I’d have the courage to speak publicly about what I’ve gone through, let alone be recognized for it,” Foxx said. “I told EndoFound what I’ve told NAMI: I will show up for you and support you in any way I can. I’m not an expert. I’m not in the field. I’m not going to find a cure. But I can share my story, and that’s my superpower.”
Corinne will be working and part of a Q&A at the EndoFound Patient Day on Saturday, March 18. For tickets and more information on the event, held March 18 and 19, visit www.endofound.org/patientday.
Tickets to the 11th Annual Blossom Ball are available at www.endofound.org/blossomball.
Also, March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, and EndoFound’s theme is “Endometriosis impacts more than 1 in 10.” While endometriosis affects an estimated 1 in 10 women in the U.S., the “more” refers to caregivers, friends, and families of those with the disease. To participate in the #MoreThan1in10 campaign, visit www.endofound.org/morethan1in10.
