Hinckley Sends Well-Wishes to Foster 45 Years Later

More than four decades after attempting to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in a misguided effort to win the attention of actress Jodie Foster, John Hinckley Jr. has publicly expressed well-wishes for the Hollywood star.

In a preview of an interview set to air on "The Mark Joseph Show," Hinckley Jr. addressed Foster directly for what appears to be the first time in years. "I just wish Jodie Foster well, you know," Hinckley Jr. told TMZ.com in the interview excerpt obtained by Entertainment Weekly.

He elaborated on his sentiments, stating: "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 is just, I wish Jodie well, and I hope she has a good life," Hinckley Jr. told TMZ.com.

The comments arrive 45 years after the March 30, 1981 shooting outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., where Hinckley Jr. opened fire on Reagan moments after the president had finished delivering a speech. The attack left Reagan wounded along with three others, including Press Secretary James Brady, who sustained permanent injuries.

Hinckley Jr. maintained at the time that his motivation stemmed from a desire to impress Foster, whom he had become fixated upon after viewing the 1976 film "Taxi Driver." In that Martin Scorsese production, Foster portrayed a child prostitute while Robert De Niro played a disturbed taxi driver whose character plotted to assassinate a presidential candidate.

Following the assassination attempt, Hinckley Jr. was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He subsequently spent decades confined to St. Elizabeths Hospital, a psychiatric facility, before being released with conditions in 2016. Six years later, in 2022, a federal judge approved his unconditional release, allowing him to live freely without restrictions.

The upcoming interview marks a rare public statement from Hinckley Jr. regarding Foster, who has maintained silence about him throughout her successful acting and directing career. Foster has never publicly responded to Hinckley Jr.'s obsession or the events of 1981, focusing instead on her professional achievements and private life.

The case remains one of the most notorious examples of celebrity obsession leading to violence, prompting significant changes to how the Secret Service protects presidents and how the legal system addresses defendants claiming insanity.