23 Years Later: The Celebrities Who Narrowly Escaped Death on 9/11
On this day 23 years ago, the world was gripped with shock and grief as the 9/11 attacks claimed 2,977 innocent lives.
Nineteen terrorists hijacked four planes on September 11, 2001, crashing two into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and another into the Pentagon, while the fourth went down in a Pennsylvania field. As stories of survival emerged, a few celebrities revealed how they had narrowly avoided death that day.
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| Today marks the 23rd anniversary of 9/11. Credit: Michael Orso / Getty |
Here are some of the most remarkable twists of fate that spared the lives of some of Hollywood's biggest stars:
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson narrowly escaped being at the World Trade Center on the morning of 9/11. According to his brother Jermaine, the "Billie Jean" singer was scheduled for a meeting at the top of one of the Twin Towers that morning but overslept after staying up late talking with his mother, Katherine, and his sister, Rebbie.
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| ackson's brother says he was supposed to have a meeting at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Credit: Carlo Allegri/Getty |
Jermaine later wrote in his book You Are Not Alone: Michael: Through a Brother’s Eyes: "Thankfully, none of us knew Michael was due at a meeting that morning... We only discovered this when Mother phoned his hotel to make sure he was okay." Michael told his mother, "You kept me up talking so late that I overslept and missed my appointment."
Jackson lived for another eight years before passing away at age 50.
Sarah Ferguson (Fergie)
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was also close to being at the World Trade Center that morning. She was scheduled to be at her charity office, Chances for Children, located on the 101st floor of the North Tower, but was delayed by heavy traffic after an interview at NBC studios.
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| Sarah Ferguson has shared her 9/11 story. Credit: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis / Getty |
Reflecting on the experience, she told Hello! Magazine: "I take every minute as a blessing... Because the minute you look too far forward, then you're missing now."
Remarkably, the charity's mascot, a rag doll named Little Red, was later found in the rubble.
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg was initially booked on American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into the North Tower. However, at the last moment, he and his friends changed their plans and chartered a plane to Toronto for a film festival.
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| Mark Wahlberg had to apologize for his emotionally-charged comments. Credit: Greg Doherty / Getty |
Wahlberg faced backlash later for suggesting he could have overpowered the terrorists if he had been on the flight. He later apologized, stating, "To speculate about such a situation is ridiculous... I deeply apologize to the families of the victims that my answer came off as insensitive."
Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe unwittingly took a flight with the 9/11 terrorists just 11 days before the attacks, which turned out to be a "dry run" for the hijackers.
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| Rob Lowe found himself on the same plane as several of the terroists. Credit: Tom Cooper / Getty |
"I flew with the 9/11 hijackers on the dry run without realizing it," Lowe later revealed. The same plane was used to crash into the Pentagon on 9/11. Reflecting on the experience, he said, "Nobody looked scary... It looked like an absolutely normal flight."
Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, was also supposed to be on American Airlines Flight 11. However, due to a booking mistake and a hangover, he arrived at the airport 10 minutes late and missed the flight.
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| Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane also narrowly avoided the tragedy. Credit: Kevin Winter / Getty |
"I was booked on that flight... It was a very close call for me," he shared.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow wasn't scheduled to be at the World Trade Center, but her chance encounter with a fan may have saved a life.
On the morning of September 11, Paltrow stopped her car when she noticed a woman jaywalking. The woman, Lara Lundstrom Clark, was running late to her office on the 77th floor of the South Tower. Because of the encounter, she missed her train, which ultimately saved her from being in the tower during the attack.
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| Gwyneth Paltrow has also shared her story. Credit: Stefanie Keenan/ Getty |
Reflecting on this, Paltrow said, "It was an extraordinary story... and all I could think about is all the people who had experiences like that day but aren’t able to reach out because it wasn’t a recognizable person."
These stories remind us of the unpredictable twists of fate that day, and how close some came to being among the victims of one of history's most tragic events.
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