EXCLUSIVE: Jodie Foster 'Rattled by John Hinckley Jr's Latest Public Apology'
Jodie Foster is reportedly rattled by John Hinckley Jr.'s latest public apology decades after his attack.
Sept. 5 2026, Published 7:20 a.m. ET
Would-be presidential assassin John Hinckley Jr.'s media message to Jodie Foster has the Oscar-winning actress "shaken to the core," according to sources close to the Silence of the Lambs star, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Hinckley sent his "good wishes" to the 63-year-old former child star he once said inspired his frightening, near-fatal attack on President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981, outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Foster 'Rattled' by Hinckley's Message
Jodie Foster was reportedly upset by John Hinckley Jr.'s recent message wishing her well.
"I just wish Jodie Foster well, you know," Hinckley, 71, said in a recent interview, adding, "I hope she has a good life."
And while the message seems positive and benign, sources close to the A Private Life star said she's upset by it.
"She's rattled, and quite frankly who wouldn't be," said a source close to Foster. "This guy is now a free man, but his deranged behavior says everything you need to know.
"So, Jodie could be forgiven for looking over her shoulder wherever she goes."
Hinckley, who was 25 when he opened fire on the president, sending him to the hospital – along with three other victims including Press Secretary James Brady, police officer Thomas Delahanty and Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy – said he carried out the assassination attempt to impress Foster, who was 18 at the time.
Hinckley Still Fixated on Foster
Ronald Reagan was hospitalized after Hinckley shot him outside a Washington, D.C., hotel in 1981.
Brady, who was shot in the head, suffered brain damage and partial paralysis, leading to his death in 2014 at 73.
Chillingly, Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982 and served more than 30 years in a psychiatric facility before becoming a free man for good in 2022.
"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 said. "...the best outcome would have been a union with Jodie Foster."
Foster Could Have Been Target
Foster's inner circle reportedly fears Hinckley's obsession with the actress may not be in the past.
During the interview, Hinckley admitted that his obsession with Jodie was once so intense – SHE could have been the target of his gun.
"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."
"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."
Foster's Inner Circle Fears Obsession Lingers
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Hinckley apologized to Foster and the families of those wounded in the attack.
Sources said there is fear among Foster's inner circle that Hinckley's comments may indicate his obsession with her is not a thing of the past.
"It's pretty clear that she is still deep in his thoughts," an insider shared. "He can apologize all he likes – she does not want to hear it."
