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Mary Jo Buttafuoco Reclaims Her Story in Lifetime Biopic Premiering Jan. 17

She narrates the new film to challenge decades of tabloid caricature by centering the victim’s perspective.

Overview

  • Lifetime’s I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco debuts Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. ET, with Buttafuoco appearing on-screen to contextualize her story.
  • In 1992, 17-year-old Amy Fisher shot Buttafuoco at her Long Island home; a bullet remains lodged in her head and she lives with chronic pain and facial paralysis.
  • Fisher pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated assault and served nearly seven years in prison, while Joey Buttafuoco was later convicted of statutory rape and served four months.
  • Buttafuoco says the project aims to reach younger viewers who know the case mainly through sensational coverage and to present the victim’s experience directly.
  • Now 70 and living in California, she has worked as a motivational speaker and founded The Facial Paralysis and Bell’s Palsy Foundation, discussing long-term mental-health struggles in interviews.