Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity following the assassination attempt and was committed to a psychiatric hospital.
Speaking on The Mark Joseph Show, Hinckley said he wished Foster well and hoped she was leading a happy life.
“I just wish Jodie Foster well, you know. 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,” he said.
Hinckley said he had stalked Foster while she was studying at Yale University. On March 30, 1981, he fired six shots at Reagan as the then-President was leaving the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Reagan survived the attack but was seriously wounded. Three others, including White House Press Secretary James Brady, were also injured.
Explaining his motive, Hinckley said he had developed a delusional belief that the assassination attempt would lead to a relationship with Foster.
“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. But I was believing those things at the time,” he said.
Hinckley said he believed Foster would eventually join him after the situation surrounding the shooting had settled, regardless of whether he ended up in prison or a psychiatric hospital.
“I thought she would, you know, after things settled down, join me wherever I was,” he said.
“I wasn’t sure if I was gonna be in jail or the hospital or what after things settled down. I had this notion that she was gonna join me wherever I was,” he added.
Hinckley spent decades under psychiatric supervision following the 1981 attack. A US judge granted him unconditional release from court supervision in 2022.
FOLLOW NOW
