John Hinckley Jr. Sends Message to Jodie Foster on 45th Anniversary of Reagan Assassination Attempt
John Hinckley Jr. has sent a message to actress Jodie Foster, marking 45 years since his assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, which he carried out to impress Foster after seeing her in the movie "Taxi Driver."
New York, NY, August 12, 2026 —
John Hinckley Jr., known for his 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, has reportedly sent a message to actress Jodie Foster. This communication comes as the 45th anniversary of the event is marked.
Hinckley’s motive for the assassination attempt was reportedly to gain the attention of Jodie Foster. He stated at the time that he was inspired to carry out the act after seeing Foster in the 1976 film “Taxi Driver.” The film depicted a character who becomes increasingly unstable and violent.
The assassination attempt on President Reagan occurred on March 30, 1981. Reagan was shot in the chest, and three other individuals were wounded: White House press secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, and police officer Thomas Delahanty.
Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity by a jury in 1982. He was subsequently committed to St. Elizabeths Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Washington, D.C.
In September 2021, a federal judge approved Hinckley’s unconditional release from his more than four decades of court-ordered supervision. This decision followed years of evaluations that determined he no longer posed a danger to himself or others. Hinckley was granted full release in June 2022.
The message to Jodie Foster is the latest in a series of communications Hinckley has made public since his release. Information regarding the specific content or recipient details of this most recent message was not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Eric Todisco on pagesix.com, see more information here.