Jamie Foxx announced on Thursday that his Django Unchained co-star Keith Jefferson has passed away at age 53.
Jefferson – who also starred with Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood – had been battling cancer.
Jamie gave a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram today for his 17 million followers. Sharing a snap of himself with the star, the 55-year-old captioned the photo with, ‘Everything hurts right now.’
He added that he was ‘having a hard time looking through these pictures reliving the memories of us having a great time.’
Foxx then said: ‘NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO SEE THE WORDS ABOUT MY FRIEND RIP @keith.jefferson.’ The Ray star added several red broken heart emojis.
Jamie wrote, ‘Ever since we met back in college, you have been in incredible soul. God rest.’
Forever friends: Jamie Foxx penned a heartbreaking homage to his late friend Keith Jefferson on his Instagram page on Thursday
In loving memory: The Academy Award winning star shared another snap of himself with his late friend Keith on his Instagram page, sharing his disbelief that his friend was gone
Having trouble processing his grief, the Day Shift star also shared a second photo where he posed with his late friend, who was sitting in a hospital chair.
‘This one hurts. Keith, you’ve been nothing but absolute grace,’ the Texas-born A-lister captioned the image.
He added, ‘Your whole life your heart is pure your love is immeasurable you were an amazing soul.’
Admitting that ‘it’s gonna take a long time for this to heal,’ the Strays star added a heartbreaking, ‘Goodbye, my friend. I love you.’
Although the actor and producer admitted on his Instagram page before his untimely death that he didn’t want to share his cancer diagnosis with anyone, he wrote that he finally made his peace with it, adding that his ‘faith was stronger than ever.’
He gave Jamie a shoutout in the post, writing, ‘I have a loving family and the best friends in the entire world. You know who you are. From my mom to J Foxx to everybody in between.’
Staying strong, he added for his followers, ‘Remember…”Faith is the last thing you can lose.'”
Keith did have a role in one of his best friend’s films, Django Unchained, over the course of his own acting and producing career.
In addition to roles in films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Fantasticks, Keith also worked as an acting coach on the side.
Best buds for life: The Unpredictable singer stayed by his friend’s side during his cancer battle
Cool with Quentin: The late actor also appeared in several Quentin Tarantino projects, including Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Firm in his faith: The actor, producer, and acting coach stayed true to his faith to his last day
In memoriam: The late star will appear in his final role in Jamie’s latest movie, The Burial
In one final tribute, Keith’s final role will be in Jamie’s latest movie, The Burial.
His last project will hit theaters on Friday, October 6 before being released on Prime Video the following week.
Staying optimistic and dedicated to his faith in his Instagram posts before his sad passing, Keith wrote at the start of 2023 — ‘In 2023 I will continue to let my talent shine and let whatever spark I am able to produce be considered a blessing towards my next opportunity.’
Keith was 53 years old at the time of his death.
