Mary Jo Buttafuoco, the subject of a new Lifetime movie, became one of America’s most well-known crime victims when she was shot in the face by a 17-year-old girl whom her husband, Joey Buttafuoco, was later found of statutorily raping. Mary Jo miraculously pulled through and survived her injuries, although she endured many surgeries and medical issues.
After the event, the Buttafuocos became prominent media figures, and were invited to high-profile events such as the 67th Academy Awards in 1995.
GettyWhen she was photographed at the Oscars three years after the attack, Mary Jo’s face looked surprisingly good for someone who has been shot in the face, and she still looks fresh and serene in recent times.
In February 18, she was photographed attending the 4th Hollywood Beauty Awards in Los Angeles, and from her looks, you would never she had suffered major facial trauma.
GettyWhat Happened to Mary Jo Buttafuoco?
In a People exclusive published January 15, 2026, Mary Jo Buttafuoco told her harrowing story in her own words. The piece says she told the magazine of the day she was attacked by 17-year-old Amy Fisher, “I got the kids off to school, I cleaned the kitchen, I made the beds, I did all the mom stuff. And my plan that day was to paint in the backyard.”
She then recalled the moment Mary Fisher, with whom her husband Joey had been illegally having underage sex with, showed up. She said, “I remember the ringing of the door. Our exchange really wasn’t confrontational,” according to the story.
The story quotes her as then explaining, “”I was so taken aback by this kid that I was like, ‘What? You’re here with a T-shirt telling me that Joey’s having an affair?’ And I’ve been raised a very polite lady, a nice Irish-Catholic girl. So I didn’t yell at her or argue with her or anything. I had no idea what was going to happen.”
The report says the mom of two then told People, “I turned my head and it exploded. At the moment, my only thought was that she hit me with a bat, but I didn’t know where the bat came from. That’s what it felt like. It was just such an explosion on the side of my head that knocked me backwards and down, but it didn’t hurt. I went out that quick, boom, that was it.”
In the aftermath, Mary Jo was left with a bullet permanently lodged in her brain, and her husband Joey served 4 months in jail for the statutory rape of Amy Fisher. Meanwhile, Fisher was sentenced to 15 years for the shooting, and was paroled after 7.
Mary Jo initially stayed by her husband’s side, but later divorced him in 2003.
What Is Mary Jo Buttafuoco Doing Now?
In the bio of her private Instagram page, where she has only approved 30 followers, Mary Jo identifies herself as a mom, survivor, New York Giants fan, and New York Times Bestselling Author of the book “Getting It Through My Thick Skull.”
Mary Jo’s daughter celebrated the new Lifetime movie telling her mom’s story in a December 2025 Instagram post, where she shared new and recent photos of her mom.
