Mary Jo Buttafuoco: Shooting was 'A Blessing in Disguise'
On May 19, 1992, Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot in the face by her husband's teenage lover, Amy Fisher. Her story made headlines around the world and caused a great deal of physical and emotional pain for Mary Jo. Yet today she is a motivational speaker and has spoken with Oprah Winfrey about what her life is like now.
"This tragedy might have been a blessing in disguise," Buttafuoco told Winfrey. "I realized I could choose to lay in a hole and disappear or try to help others by telling my story. After the shooting I was very angry and depressed, but that's life- it moves on. Now I'm older, wiser, stronger."
The entire ordeal was played out over and over again in made-for-TV movies and parodies on shows like "Saturday Night Live." Joey Buttafuoco was romantically involved with 17-year-old Fisher, whose intense jealousy led her to show up at the Buttafuoco's residence and shoot Mary Jo in the face.
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Mary Jo has since had multiple reconstructive surgeries to help repair damage and deal with paralysis that still remains to this day. For a while, she became addicted to painkillers and spent time in a rehabilitation facility for addiction. Now, though, she is happy and fairly healthy.
She has remarried to Stu Tendler and is the stepmother to his three children, in addition to caring for her own two children with Buttafuoco. The relationship came as a shock to Buttafuoco, she explained.
"I really thought that was it, you know, I had my one shot. I'm old, it's never gonna happen again. Lo and behold, surprise! I fell in love at 47 years old," she revealed.
As for ex-husband Joey, he served four months in jail for the statutory rape of Fisher. They divorced in 2003, leaving Mary Jo free to focus on her recovery. Fisher served six years in prison and contemplated working in the adult entertainment industry but has put that idea on hold for now.
Oprah's special with Mary Jo Buttafuoco aired Oct. 9 at 10 p.m. ET on OWN. It will likely be rerun as part of the "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" series for the channel.
