Mary Jo Buttafuoco Opens Up About Her Past

Mary Jo Buttafuoco, the woman who was shot in the head by her husband’s teenage mistress, Amy Fisher, is sharing her story nearly 34 years later. The incident, which occurred on her front porch, gained widespread attention, particularly after Fisher became known as the “Long Island Lolita.” The Lifetime biopic titled I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco, featuring Chloe Lanier, brings this tumultuous chapter of her life back into focus.

Reflecting on her recovery, the now 70-year-old Buttafuoco commented, “I have healed as much as I can, but I still live with the impacts of that bullet. It’s true—bullet wounds don’t really heal like scrapes or broken bones do. They leave lasting damage.” She spoke about her health challenges, including losing her hearing in one ear, dealing with facial paralysis, and having only one carotid artery, all of which she’ll face for life. “Honestly, I’ve always believed this bullet would eventually kill me,” she added, noting that they were fortunate to have survived this long.

Buttafuoco recounted that day, May 19, 1992, beginning like any other. After dropping off her two children at school, she had plans to paint in the backyard. However, a knock on the door changed everything. Fisher, then a high school student, arrived claiming to be 19 and accusing Buttafuoco’s husband of being with her underage sister. When Buttafuoco went to call her husband inside, Fisher shot her and fled.

“My life ended in an instant,” Buttafuoco said, stunned at how suddenly something could turn so violent and disrupt the safety of her home.

Following the attack, Buttafuoco underwent extensive emergency surgery that lasted eight hours. The bullet was deemed too dangerous to remove, having fractured her jaw and lodged dangerously near her brain. When she was awake, she provided police with a description of her shooter; inexplicably, her husband denied any involvement. Fisher was apprehended just two days later after police investigated inconsistencies in her story and phone records.

The events drew massive media attention, leading to Buttafuoco being ridiculed on shows like Saturday Night Live. “It was awful. They turned my trauma into jokes. I thought, ‘How can they make fun of me when I almost got killed?’

Yet, she remained with Joey for seven years after the shooting, during which she battled not only physical but psychological effects too. “I was sick for a long time and just not in a position to leave,” she explained, emphasizing how their children were affected by the trauma as well. “I was so angry, yet part of me believed his lies.”

Eventually, Buttafuoco sought help for her addiction to prescription drugs, a dependency born from trying to manage her pain. “They were all too ready to prescribe painkillers for someone who had been shot,” she reflected, noting that they “handed it out like candy.” After entering the Betty Ford Center, she found a path to recovery and decided to divorce in 2003.

Now living in California with her daughter, Buttafuoco focuses on her recovery and shares lessons learned. “I’ve realized that having anger won’t heal you,” she said. As for Fisher, she now sees her as a narcissist who hasn’t changed. “What she did was unforgivable, even if she too was a victim to some extent.”

In looking back, Buttafuoco remarked on her current state: “It’s often painful; it feels like I’m living with half a head. I’ve adapted, though. In the end, I survived, and I’m proud of that.”

Lifetime’s I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco is available for streaming, presenting her story to a new audience.