John Hinkley Jr. Speaks Out 45 Years After Shooting Ronald Reagan To Impress Jodie Foster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md_7x4jOfU0

More than four decades after he shot President Ronald Reagan in an assassination attempt, John Hinckley Jr. is speaking publicly about the 1981 attack—and his longtime obsession with actress Jodie Foster.

Hinckley discussed the shooting and his fixation on Foster during a podcast interview with Mark Joseph, a producer of the 2024 film Reagan, which is scheduled for a re-release Sept. 25.

The 1981 assassination attempt

On March 30, 1981, Hinckley opened fire outside the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., as Reagan was leaving an event.

Reagan was seriously wounded, along with three others, including White House press secretary James Brady, who suffered a devastating brain injury.

Hinckley said at the time that he carried out the attack in an effort to impress Foster, whom he had become obsessed with after watching her in Taxi Driver.

A disturbing revelation

During the new interview, Hinckley reportedly revealed that his fixation on Foster went beyond what was already publicly known.

He said he had considered shooting Foster herself instead of Reagan, a revelation that adds another disturbing dimension to his obsession.

Hinckley's fixation on the actress had previously been well documented, including his attempts to contact her and his belief that a dramatic act would make him worthy of her attention.

A message for Jodie Foster

The interview also included Hinckley's attempt to address Foster decades later.

Foster, now 63, has largely kept her distance from Hinckley and has previously spoken about the lasting impact the assassination attempt and his obsession had on her life.

There is no indication that Foster has responded to his latest comments.

Hinckley's legal history

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982 and spent decades receiving psychiatric treatment at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington.

After years of court-supervised restrictions, he was ultimately released from federal oversight in 2022.

He has since maintained a public presence through music, art and social media, although his renewed discussion of the Reagan shooting has drawn attention because of the violent nature of the attack and his fixation on Foster.

Bottom line

Hinckley's latest comments revisit one of the most infamous assassination attempts in U.S. history—and reveal that his obsession with Jodie Foster included thoughts of targeting her directly. The decades-old attack remains a chilling example of how Hinckley's fixation on a celebrity influenced his decision to attempt to assassinate a president.