A Jodie Foster fan site unearths a previously untranslated article on May 2, 2016 from a Serbian magazine in 1981, in the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, with a mention of the island of Hvar. Interesting reading…
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One of our occasional contacts is from a dedicated Jody Foster website, Jodie Foster Museum. A truly dedicated fan site, over the years it has unearthed a lot of original material related to the American actress, and our association came to fruition as a result of Foster’s visit to the island of Hvar in 1978, as a guest of celebrated Split photographer Jadran Lazic, most famous perhaps for his shots of the Soviet President Brezhnev lying in state prior to his funeral in 1982. Lazic was well-known before that, as his association with Foster proves.
Jodie Foster Museum has uncovered an article from May 1981, in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr. The magazine, Auto Svit, has a fascinating account of telephone conversations with Lazic (acting as interlocutor for the magazine with Foster and her mother Brandy). No more from us, read the article below in full.
Our reporters have interviewed actress Jodie Foster, who was allegedly the reason why Hinckley shot the US President.
Jodie Foster Is Living in Fear
Why is FBI, the US federal police, guarding the famous actress whose name is being constantly mentioned these days in headlines of the world press after an assassination attempt on Reagan. The assassination of the actress has been prevented.
Shells from the shots which were fired at US President Ronald Reagan had not yet cooled down when the news was published around the world that the police found letters written by assassin John Hinckley Jr. to the young American actress Jodie Foster, known from the movie ‘Taxi Driver’. The news report stated only that Hinckley wrote to Foster that “she would see who he is! True, the results of his shots have left visible marks on American political life, but his connection with the young actress has remained unclear. To get firsthand information about this case, we spoke by phone with the actress Jodie Foster, who is currently in Los Angeles where she is studying directing at the Yale University.
Her interlocutor was the photographer Jadran Lazić. He lived for five years in Paris and was very successful in his job as a news photographer. Lazić happened to meet the young actress in Paris and later became her close friend. In 1978, Jodie Foster was his guest on the island of Hvar.
A talk with the mother However, despite all of this, on this occasion it was very difficult to get to Jodie. But, what does Jodie Foster’s mother Brandy say? In an effort to establish telephone contact with her in Los Angeles, at first we did not succeed. We have not found her, neither at home nor at the university. Then we called Paris, where the Fosters have an apartment. This time there was a reply. Brandy Foster, the mother of the young actress, took the call. Here is the telephone conversation with her:
– Hello, it is Jadran here. Brandy, how are you? I have just tried to call Jody, but there was no answer. What is happening with her?
Assassination Attempt
– Jadran, we are all in shock. On 7 April, some freak tried to assassinate Jody. I just do not know what is going on and what all these psychiatric freaks want. Last night, Jodie called me.
She said that everything was proceeding normally and that things were calming down. She is attending college, but is constantly escorted by FBI agents. That is the reason why it is so difficult to reach her.
– What is the name of the guy who tried to kill her and who was immediately arrested at the university? How did it happen?
– He is an Edward Richardson. He was born in Pennsylvania and is a bit over twenty years old. He was arrested while he was quickly approaching Jody. They found a weapon on him.
– Did Jody had anything to do with these guys?
– Oh, no! She did not know them at all. Hinckley was writing her letters for a long time. But, Jodie gets a lot of letters anyway. Prior to the arrest of this second guy, Richardson, another strange letter arrived in Jody’s letterbox. Presumably it was written by Richardson.
– What does it say in the letter?
– I do not know.
– What do they actually want from Jodie, since she has nothing to do with all of this?
– That is what I would like to know! Crazy people! It is simply incomprehensible why they are involving her in all of this!
– You have probably asked her how she feels?
– She says that everything is all right. Although I can see that she is frightened. After all, you know her. She just does not want to say it to me.
Concerned mother
– Will you be going to America soon?
– I would go right away, but Jody told me that the FBI told her that it was advisable for us not to come there for some time. I do not know what to do? I feel like I am on fire! I would love to be with her, whatever happens!
– Brandy, how can I establish contact with Jody? No one is picking up the phone in the flat. And she is not at the college.
– It is also very hard for me to reach her. Everything is being controlled. Listen, tomorrow evening at nine o'clock I will talk with her. Call her about 9.30, I will tell her you will call her. I would love if she could hear from you. Tell her to be brave. She will tell you much more. Just the other day “France-Soir” published a photo. I have told her about it, because we recognized that this was your photo which you took when Jody was staying on the island of Hvar. As if we had a premonition that you were going to call.
Jodie Foster: ‘They are morons’.
The next day, on 12 April, around 9.30 in the evening our time, we again called Los Angeles.
Jodie Foster answered the phone.
– Yes, Jadran, mom told me. I am fine, alive and healthy. And you?
– I am well. I have been thinking a lot about you these days. Tell me, what is going on?
– A lot! When they give guns to all these morons it has to be like this. Bastards! They are just waiting to kill someone famous and ‘enter’ into history. Out of 230 million Americans, many of them are lunatics. And all of them want to kill. And when one madman shots and when it is reported, others simply become more furious.
– What happened to you at the university? Your mother told me there was an assassination attempt against you…
– I have never been so terrified! These days, FBI agents are constantly around me. That day, when I was at the college, I saw from far away a young man approaching us. While he was approaching us, he started walking more and more quickly. When he was only a few metres from us, he was just going towards me. He looked me straight in the eyes. I was so afraid. I was scared by his walk, chin and large eyes that hissed from behind the glasses. I stopped in fear, but one of the agents was already at his back. They arrested him and found a gun on him with a full clip. Can you imagine how terrible it is when you see them approaching him and seizing a weapon. I simply do not know why this fool from Pennsylvania would want me dead?!
‘I will kill both you and Reagan’
– Before that you received another threatening letter. What did it say?
– It said: “I will kill both you and Reagan, to finish what Hinckley started!” These are special nuts! It is impossible!
– Jodie, who is Hinckley?
– When he fired at President Reagan and when they found a letter in his hotel room that was meant for me, only then did I find out who he was. Yes, he did write me love letters, but I did not pay any attention to them. I receive so many such letters that it was simply impossible to notice this Hinckley. I have never seen him, of course.
– In addition to saying that you would “remember who he was”, what else did it say in the letter from the hotel room?
– I do not know. This letter was not given to me.
– And was there any connection between Hinckley and Richardson?
– I do not believe so. I am telling you, only murders are not difficult to explain, everything else is complicated.
– Have you ever been exposed to similar dangers before all of this?
– Yes, I have only now realized it. At the end of last year, when I was in Georgia filming ‘Foxes’, one guy wrote me letters every day. He was even an extra in the movie. Another one wrote me in November last year, also while I was shooting “Foxes’, that he would kidnap me. But, at the time I understood it more like some kind of fun.
‘There are a lot of madmen here’
– What is the situation now?
– It seems to me that the situation is normalizing. I hope I am not wrong.
– Are you afraid?
– Yes! I am afraid, although I have not admitted it to mum. There are a lot of madmen here.
– You are not currently shooting anything?
– I had some plans, but I will postpone them for later. I cannot wait for the month to pass, when my classes at the university finish, so I can leave this jungle.
– Come to Yugoslavia. Here you will be completely safe.
– Maybe mom told you, we will travel to Greece in September. We will stay in Yugoslavia for a few days. Of course. we will see each other then. Then we will be able to discuss it all in peace. It will be wonderful!
– Agreed. Then we will make a long article. Tell me, how do you look now?
– Nice. Same as before. Like when I was on Hvar. Like on that photo with a cowboy hat.
To see more pictures and the original source of the story, click here.
– O.K. Bring your cowboy hat.
