John Hinckley Jr., who shot former President Ronald Reagan in 1981 in an attempt to gain the attention of actress Jodie Foster, has stated he wishes her well and hopes for her happiness.
"I just wish Jodie Foster well," Hinckley said in a recent interview. "I don’t really see her movies, but I wish her well, and I know she’s doing quite well. And that’s all I can say: I just, I wish Jodie well, and I hope she has a good life."
Hinckley, 71, explained that during his delusional state at the time of the shooting, he believed he would spend his life with Foster. "I wanted to have like this union with Jodie Foster, and live the rest of my life with her and all these things that, of course, were delusional, but I was believing those things at that time," he told the "Mark Joesph Show."
He further elaborated that he honestly believed Foster would join him, regardless of his circumstances. "You know, I didn’t know if I was going to be in jail or hospital or what, but after things settled down, I had this notion that she was going to join me wherever I was."
Hinckley's obsession with Foster, stemming from her role in "Taxi Driver," was widely reported after the assassination attempt. Reagan sustained a broken rib, a punctured lung, and internal bleeding from the shooting. Former White House Press Secretary James Brady was shot in the head, suffering permanent brain damage and partial paralysis, which was later ruled a homicide in his 2014 death.
Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He was committed to a psychiatric hospital for treatment and was released in 2016. By 2022, he was living in Virginia without court restrictions.
Reflecting on the events, Hinckley admitted that Foster herself could have been a target. "She definitely could have been a target, it’s just fate went the other way," he said. "But, yeah, she could have been a target. But as fate turned out, it was Reagan instead of her."
In a 2022 interview, Hinckley apologized for his actions. "I shot four people, and I’m sorry to the Reagan family, the Brady family, the other families of the victims," he stated. "I’m sorry to Jodie Foster for bringing her into this."
Jodie Foster herself has spoken about the event, noting in a recent interview with Fox News Digital that being honored at a hand and foot ceremony on Friday was a "childhood dream."