Thirteen years after Jodie Foster publicly came out during her 2013 Golden Globes acceptance speech, John Hinckley Jr., Ronald Reagan’s would-be assassin and former obsessive admirer of the actress, claims that his 1981 attempt on the president’s life caused Foster to become a lesbian. Hinckley asserts that the trauma from his shooting incident near the Washington D.C. Hilton Hotel pushed Foster away from men.
Background of Hinckley’s Obsession and Violent Plan
Hinckley’s fascination with Foster began when he watched the film Taxi Driver, in which Foster played a child prostitute at age 12. The movie’s dark themes and Foster’s role inspired Hinckley, who started sending love letters to the young actress, hoping to develop a relationship. When these efforts failed, his obsession escalated into drastic actions.
Driven by this fixation, Hinckley contemplated extreme measures, including hijacking a plane or committing suicide in front of Foster. Ultimately, he decided to emulate Robert De Niro’s character Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver, who plotted to assassinate a presidential candidate. Hinckley first planned to kill President Jimmy Carter in 1980 but was arrested in October that year after attempting to board a plane with unloaded guns and handcuffs.
The 1981 Assassination Attempt and Its Consequences
Despite months of psychiatric care, Hinckley’s obsession persisted. On March 29, 1981, just two months after Ronald Reagan took office, Hinckley fired six shots at the president outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C., seriously wounding Reagan with a bullet to the chest. Press Secretary James Brady was paralyzed on his left side, while a Secret Service agent and a police officer were also injured in the attack.
After being found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982, Hinckley spent more than three decades confined at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington D.C. He was finally released in 2016, still known primarily for his fixation on Foster and the violent events of that day.
Jodie Foster’s Public Coming Out and Hinckley’s Controversial Claim
In 2013, Foster accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes and openly acknowledged her sexuality. The following year, she married photographer Alexandra Hedison. Despite this development occurring long after his attack on Reagan, Hinckley insists that his actions were the cause behind Foster’s sexual orientation, a claim he promotes alongside the release of his autobiography John Hinckley Jr.: Who I Really Am, which delves into his obsession with Foster and the repercussions of the shooting.
The Aftermath and Ongoing Impact of the Shooting
The assassination attempt left an indelible mark on American history and on the lives of those involved. Reagan’s survival altered the course of politics, while James Brady’s lasting paralysis led to significant gun control advocacy. Hinckley’s claim linking his crime to Foster’s personal life adds a troubling layer to the story, reflecting ongoing struggles around obsession, trauma, and public figures’ private lives.
