Redd Foxx, who had a career in acting and comedy, became a sensation in Hollywood. But by the time he turned sixty, he was completely destitute. Eddie Murphy never deserted him, despite the fact that he was left feeling alone and abandoned when he lost his money.
The role of Fred G. Sanford, which Redd played on the television sitcom “Sanford and Son,” brought him the greatest fame. Even a program called “The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour” was titled after him at one point.
Redd had four different marriages but was childless during all of them. Only Eddie Murphy, a fellow comedian, and actor, was in his life during the latter years of his life. He had no other significant relationships.
In 1989, Redd owed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) a total of $755,166.21 in overdue taxes. As a result of his inability to make payments, they placed a lien on his Las Vegas property with three bedrooms in order to reclaim as much of the money as they could.
During the time when his property was being seized, Redd grossed between $15,000 and $20,000 per week performing at the Hacienda Hotel on the Vegas Strip.
But he was under the impression that the Internal Revenue Service was after the half a million dollars he made from the movie “Harlem Nights.” He let out that the Internal Revenue Service was upset with him because of the money he made from the movie.
Additionally, he said that the taxes he was required to pay were absurd. He said:
“There is not a single person in the United States who contributes $20,000 worth of income tax each week. It is a kind of Hitlerism. This place is treating me like I’m in a third-world nation by keeping all of my paychecks.”
During the raid on his residence, the government agency grabbed everything they could get their hands on, including his automobiles, his furnishings, and everything else that would fit into their trucks. They made an attempt to steal his doghouse, but it was too cumbersome for them to transport.
In addition to that, they attempted to steal his four dogs but were unsuccessful. “They stole my necklace, the ID band off my wrist, and the money out of my pocket,” he bemoaned. “They took my necklace and the ID bracelet off my wrist.”
In addition, officers from the IRS smashed into the baggage trunks of his late mother and tossed her personal possessions all over the floor of his garage. Redd’s run-ins with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) did not begin with the raid that took place.
He used to make $4 million in a single year, but he blew it all on living an extravagant lifestyle. The fact that he had to pay a divorce settlement of $300,000 to his third wife made his already precarious financial situation much worse.
Redd also said that he attempted to get in touch with Eddie Murphy, a fellow comedian and a longtime friend of his, but he did not get a response. He said:
“Eddie is in a position to completely rescue me from this predicament. It wouldn’t be harmful to him in any way. I could make a deal with him to work for him for the next five years, doing whatever I need to in order to pay him back.”
Redd was taken aback when he got assistance from his followers and neighbors. He went on to say that one of his neighbors who lived about three blocks away had been by his home to drop him some groceries.
Even students at the school helped out, taking up a collection of monetary donations for Redd that amounted to $200. This had an effect on his emotions. He responded, “The children had donated their money for lunch. That is incredible. To tell you the truth, I felt embarrassed that I had to take it.”
Redd was able to scrounge together $10 thanks to a girl who worked at the club where he played and was in charge of taking donations from customers and admirers watching his live act.
Redd starred in the movie “Harlem Nights,” which Eddie co-wrote and co-produced with Richard Pryor. Redd’s role in the movie was uncredited. Eddie related how, when they were working on the movie together, Redd made a wager with him for the amount of $1000 that he would be married within the next year. Eddie added:
“Redd Foxx was my favorite, and I loved our tight relationship. Yes, I did mention him in Dolemite and in all of the other things.”
After learning that Redd had given the IRS all he had, he, together with his attorney Mark Rissman and accountant Louis Pittman, contacted the IRS.
Through the use of auctions, the three of them came up with a payment plan to assist Redd in paying off his debt, which ultimately prevented Redd’s home from being repossessed.
Eddie went so far as to produce a comedy called “The Royal Family,” in which Redd had a starring role as one of the main characters. Redd had been absent from the television scene for the previous five years before taking on this job.
After working on “Harlem Nights” together, Eddie had nothing but kind things to say about Richard, who served as his co-producer. He said:
“Not only is he at the top of his game, but he’s also killing it at his work. He has an uncanny ability to read people and respond appropriately. He will approach you from the side and provide private instruction; he will never put anybody in an embarrassing position.
Sadly, Redd passed away from a heart attack in 1991 when he was in the process of practicing for the musical “The Royal Family.” Rachel McCallister, who played the role of the show’s publicist, provided details on the events that occurred before his loss.
“They were practicing on the scene and clowning about, and Redd was kind of breaking people up when he fell,” McCallister said further. At first, everyone assumed that he was just fooling around, but then they decided to phone the emergency services.
Eddie pondered the passing of Redd and said to himself, “I had to physically pay for his burial, purchase his gravestone, and do all of that things.” He went on to say that Redd was not the first Hollywood celebrity he had to bury throughout his career.
“Throughout the years, I was responsible for the burial of a great number of people. When they pass away, a significant number of persons in the entertainment industry do not have their affairs in order for some unexplainable reason. If only you knew that you were burying a lot of renowned individuals. If you only knew,” he said.
Eddie, who was having financial difficulties with his taxes, started thinking about whether or not the Internal Revenue Service had been able to collect all of the money that was owing to them. He went on to say that Redd was undoubtedly very pleased with himself for having outlived his obligation to pay the IRS.
