By Roxanne "Flashbulb" Starr
John Hinckley Jr., who shot President Ronald Reagan in 1981 in a widely documented attempt to impress actress Jodie Foster, has spoken about Foster again — this time in a new podcast interview, according to NBC News.
Hinckley's obsession with Foster, then a young star fresh off her role in Taxi Driver, was central to his 1982 trial, which ended with a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. He was released from institutional custody in 2016 and had all remaining restrictions on his liberty lifted by a federal judge in 2022.
NBC News correspondent Anne Thompson reported on the podcast appearance, describing Hinckley's remarks about Foster as "bizarre." The network's report did not include the full text of what Hinckley said, and The American Times has not independently verified his exact words. Readers should treat any specific quotes attributed to Hinckley circulating online with caution until a full transcript or recording is confirmed.
Foster, now an Oscar-winning actress and director, has not publicly commented on the interview. She has rarely addressed Hinckley directly in the decades since the shooting, which left Reagan and three others wounded outside a Washington hotel.
The episode is a reminder that Hinckley, now in his seventies, continues to seek a public platform — including a music career he has pursued since his release — decades after an act that nearly killed a sitting president.
[Editor's note: Specific quotes from the podcast were not available in source reporting and have been omitted pending verification.]
— If I can't source it, you won't read it here.
— Compiled from reporting by NBC News.
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