Hinckley Jr. Wishes Nothing But Well on Jodie Foster

John Hinckley Jr., the man who took a shot at former President Ronald Reagan in 1981 with the goal of impressing actress Jodie Foster, has stated he wants nothing but good things for the star. "I just wish Jodie Foster well," he said. "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."

The 71-year-old spoke on the Mark Joseph Show during an exclusive preview shared with Entertainment Weekly. He explained that when he fired those shots at Reagan 45 years ago while in a delusional state, he genuinely believed he would spend the rest of his days living with the Silence of the Lambs actress. The full episode is scheduled to air on Wednesday. "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," Hinckley told Joseph. He added that when asked what he thought would be the best outcome of the shooting back then, his answer remained fixed on that impossible union.

He clarified his mindset during those dark days. "I believed at the time that Foster would join me wherever I was," he said. "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."

It became clear shortly after the assassination attempt left Reagan with a broken rib, punctured lung, and internal bleeding that Hinckley was obsessed with Foster. He thought shooting the president would finally make her notice him. This obsession began after he saw her in Taxi Driver. The attack happened outside the Washington Hilton two months after Reagan was elected. Former White House press secretary James Brady was struck in the head, suffering brain damage and partial paralysis that led to his death in 2014. His passing was ruled a homicide. Two other men were also wounded in the incident.

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity following the trial and committed to a psychiatric hospital. He was released in 2016. By 2022, he was living in Virginia without any court restrictions. Hinckley admitted to Joseph that in his delusional state, Foster could have been a target herself. "She definitely could have been a target. It's just fate went the other way," Hinckley said. "But, yeah, she could have been a target. But, as fate turned out, it was Reagan instead of her."

In a 2022 interview with CBS, 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 said at the time. "I'm sorry to Jodie Foster for bringing her into this.