Cameron Diaz defends Jamie Foxx from on-set behavior rumors: 'Everyone loves him'

Cameron Diaz is back in action — and she's ready to defend her costar.

The actress, 51, spoke out against rumors about her Back in Action cast mate Jamie Foxx and repudiated claims that he was “making everyone miserable and that I was never gonna make another movie again because of him.”

While joining the Lipstick on the Rim podcast, Diaz addressed the rumors that swirled in the days after Foxx's medical emergency that led to delays on set. "I really hate all of the things that were being said about our set at the time,” she said. “You just want to scream at the top of your lungs, like, ‘What are you talking about?’"

"Jamie is, like, the cheerleader for the entire crew," she added. "Everybody loves him. We have so much fun on the set with him and he’s just a professional on every level.”

Diaz, who will make her return to the screen for the first time in a decade when Back in Action premieres, recounted how upset she was when reports started to suggest that Foxx was "crazy" on set and creating a toxic environment. “Jamie is the best. I love that guy so much. He’s such a special person and he’s so talented, so much fun,” she said. “The hiccups that happened throughout production are the natural kinds of things that happen. But nothing got delayed other than, obviously, toward the end. And that’s something that is not my place to speak about.”

She was referring to Foxx's medical emergency that led to his being hospitalized for several weeks last spring. Foxx has not revealed the details of his "medical complication," but he did say, "I went to hell and back" in his first video addressing the issue over the summer.

Foxx and Diaz have worked together previously, including on her last film, 2014's Annie, and on 1999's Any Given Sunday.

Though Diaz didn't go into details, she did share that she was happy that Foxx is "thriving" now. “When I see and hear people trying to take another person down like that … [Jamie is] so classy," she concludes. "He’s like, ‘Nope. Just let them [talk].' Still, it just really made me angry.”

Back in Action, which also stars Glenn Close, does not yet have a release date though it is expected to hit theaters in 2024.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• The 13 best Jamie Foxx movie and TV roles, ranked
• Jamie Foxx says he saw a hot tunnel, not the light during health scare: 'S---, am I going to the right place?'
• Jamie Foxx shares new photo, teases 'big things coming soon' after hospitalization