EntertainmentPosted at: Jan 20 2026 6:37PM


Jodie Foster revisits childhood lion attack that left lasting scars

Los Angeles, Jan 20 (UNI) Jodie Foster has revisited one of the most harrowing episodes of her acting career, recalling how she was attacked by a lion while filming a movie as a child, an incident that left her with lasting scars.
The two-time Oscar winner recently shared during an interview with W Magazine that she has “many scars” after being attacked by a big cat on the sets of "Napoleon and Samantha" at the age of nine.
“I was mauled by a lion when I was eight-and-a-half or nine,” she recalled. “The lion picked me up, shook me around, moved me horizontally, and then dropped me. I had two perfect punctures on one side and then two perfect punctures on the other, on my hip. But as the years have gone on and we get bigger, you know, who even knows where they are anymore. They kind of just move around.”
Although the moment was never captured on camera, it left behind injuries that endured after the shoot ended, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
Foster sustained puncture wounds to her hip, injuries that remain visible decades later, albeit altered by time and physical growth. The suddenness of the assault left Foster in shock, limiting her memory of the immediate aftermath. She remembers the film crew fleeing in panic as the situation unfolded.
The Silence of the Lambs actress said the animal’s trainer eventually got the situation under control, but that it was still one of the “scariest” things to happen to her while shooting a movie. Remarkably, after receiving medical clearance, Foster returned to the production and continued working alongside the same lion, a decision that would precipitate another unnerving moment.
After Foster recovered from the attack, the Taxi Driver star shared that she had to continue working with the same lion, which ended up leading to a “scarier moment” later while filming.
Napoleon and Samantha also starred Johnny Whitaker and Michael Douglas, and followed two young children who embark on a journey with a lion rather than part ways with the animal, who was once a circus performer. UNI NST SSP
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