Man who shot Ronald Reagan to impress Jodie Foster sends message to actor decades after assassination attempt

John Hinckley Jr., the man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan to impress Jodie Foster in 1981, has publicly addressed the actor to express his regret over the trauma his infamous obsession caused her.

Speaking during a recent appearance on The Mark Joseph Show podcast, Hinckley Jr., now 71, opened up about the delusion that drove him to shoot the then-president outside a Washington, D.C. hotel when he was 25 years old.

Hinckley became infatuated with Foster after watching her in the 1976 film Taxi Driver, leading him to stalk her while she attended Yale University.

Believing a grand historic act would gain her attention and admiration, he opened fire on Reagan's entourage on March 30, 1981, wounding the president, Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, and police officer Thomas Delahanty.

“I wanted to have a union with Jodie Foster and live the rest of my life with her and all these things that, of course, were delusional,” Hinckley told host Mark Joseph.

“But I was believing those things at the time. So the best outcome would have been a union with Jodie Foster … in this life.”

Hinckley was acquitted by reason of insanity (RYAN M. KELLY/AFP via Getty Images)

Hinckley's message to Foster

Hinckley went on to explain that he was convinced Foster would 'join [him] wherever [her] was' after things 'settled down' following the assassination attempted.

“I wasn’t sure if I was gonna be in jail or the hospital or what. But after things settled down, I had this notion that she was gonna join me wherever I was," he said.

Reflecting on his actions now, 45 years later, Hinkley revealed he had just one message for Foster.

“I just wish Jodie Foster well,” he said, as per Entertainment Weekly‘s exclusive preview of the interview.

“I don’t really see her movies, but I wish her well, and I know she’s doing quite well,” he added. “And that’s all I can say: I just, I wish Jodie well, and I hope she has a good life.”

A Long Path to Freedom

Following the shooting, Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982 and was remanded to St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C. for psychiatric treatment.

After decades of inpatient therapy, he began receiving convalescent leave to visit his family before being allowed to move out of the hospital full-time in 2016 under strict court restrictions.

In June 2022, a federal judge granted him full, unconditional release after mental health officials determined he no longer posed a threat to public safety.

Reflecting on his past psychological state, Hinckley stated that he now recognizes the absurdity and cruelty of his actions - including the lasting impact they had on Foster.

At the time he had been aiming to win Jodie Foster's affection (Dominik Bindl/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

Foster's response to the shooting

While Hinckley's actions had originally been orchestrated to try and win the actress' affection and attention, the incident had the opposite effect, with Foster herself blindsided and horrified by the tragic turn of events that she never truly recovered from.

Speaking to Interview magazine in 2024, Foster admitted that Hinckley was the reason she may never again perform live theatre.

“I’m finally able to admit that the one bit of theater I did when I was in college, there was so much trauma involved in it,” said the two-time Oscar winner at the time.

“The play happened in two weekends, and I did the first weekend, and in between the first weekend and the second weekend, John Hinckley shot the president… He shot him in order to impress me, and he had written letters to me, so it was a big moment in my life.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.