Mary Jo Buttafuoco’s Daughter Is ‘In Awe’ of Her Mom as New Lifetime Movie About Her Life Premieres
Mary Jo Buttafuoco is taking charge of her story.
In 1992, Mary Jo, now 70, became a tabloid fixture when she was shot in the face by Amy Fisher, a 17-year-old girl with whom her then-husband, Joey Buttafuoco, was having an affair. Now, in Lifetime’s new movie I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco, she’s sharing her perspective on the event that shaped her life. Mary Jo narrates the film, which premieres January 17, while Chloe Lanier plays her as a younger woman.
Mary Jo Buttafuoco’s daughter says her mother has ‘an extraordinary amount of strength’
“My kids’ friends always ask me ‘How on earth did you manage to survive?’ I wanted to tell this story to young people, to people who heard the name but didn’t really understand what went on,” Mary Jo told People of why she decided to revisit the harrowing experience. “I want to let people know that things happen and sometimes really bad things happen, but you can get past them.”
One person in Mary Jo’s life couldn’t be prouder that she’s speaking out. Her daughter, Jessie Buttafuoco, says she’s “in awe” of her mom’s “resilience, courage, and unwavering commitment to helping others.”
“She continues to bravely share her story—one that includes gun violence, infidelity, addiction, and recovery—not for attention, but to bring awareness, understanding, and hope to those who are struggling,” Jessie, who now works a mental health professional, wrote on Instagram. “It takes an extraordinary amount of strength to put yourself out there so vulnerably, especially when the story is painful. Yet she does it anyway, again and again, to remind others that they are not alone.
“My mom is an inspiration to me and to so many people who have found comfort, strength, and motivation through her honesty,” Jessie continued. “She shows us that survival is possible, healing is real, and that even after unimaginable darkness, there is peace at the end of the tunnel.”
Mary Jo Buttafuoco does not have a relationship with Joey Buttafuoco
Fisher, who was dubbed the “Long Island Lolita” by the press, served nearly seven years in prison for shooting Mary Jo. Joey Buttafuoco spent four months in jail for statutory rape. Initially, Mary Jo stood by her husband. But the pair eventually divorced in 2003. They are no longer in contact, she told People.
“I don’t have a relationship with him,” she said. “I don’t even know where he lives. My son sees him. My daughter has no relationship with him. I don’t feel for him, it’s kind of like karma. I feel like that with Amy, too.”
I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco airs Saturday, January 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.
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