John W. Hinckley Jr., the man who shot former President Ronald Reagan in 1981, expressed well-wishes for actress Jodie Foster in a recent interview. Hinckley, now 71, spoke during an appearance on the podcast The Mark Joseph Show, where he stated: ‘I just wish Jodie Foster well.’
The interview, previewed by Entertainment Weekly, marked Hinckley’s first public comments about Foster in decades. He acknowledged her success while noting he does not watch her films. Hinckley shot Reagan outside the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 30, 1981, believing it would impress Foster, who was 18 at the time and had recently starred in Taxi Driver.
Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and spent decades in a psychiatric facility before his conditional release in 2016. He lived with his elderly mother in Williamsburg, Virginia, under court-ordered restrictions, including therapy and travel limitations. A federal judge granted him full freedom from oversight in 2022, citing his lack of violent behavior or active mental illness since 1983.
The assassination attempt left Reagan with serious injuries, including a broken rib, punctured lung, and internal bleeding. Three others were also wounded: former White House Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, and Washington police officer Thomas Delahanty. Brady died in 2014 from complications related to his injuries.
Hinckley’s comments came amid renewed scrutiny of the Washington Hilton Hotel, which was the site of another presidential assassination attempt in April. Representatives for Foster did not respond to requests for comment.
Hinckley, who was 25 at the time of the shooting, described his delusional belief that the act would lead to a relationship with Foster. He stated that he thought she would “join me wherever I was” after the shooting, though he acknowledged the idea was irrational in hindsight. The full interview is scheduled to air Wednesday on The Mark Joseph Show.