5 Celebrities With Personal 9/11 Stories of Close Calls and Heartbreak

September 11, 2001, was a day that forever changed the world, and its impact is still felt by many. Among those who carry the weight of that tragic day are some well-known celebrities who have a personal connection to the events. Whether they narrowly avoided danger or lost loved ones, these individuals remind us of the profound ways 9/11 touched lives from all walks of life. Here are five celebrities who have a 9/11 story, offering a glimpse into how the events affected them personally.

1. Pete Davidson

Pete Davidson, former Saturday Night Live cast member and comedian, has a deeply personal connection to 9/11. His father, Scott Davidson, was a New York City firefighter who tragically died in service along with his unit while responding. Davidson was just 7 years old at the time. 

Davidson has been open about how his father’s death shaped his life. On an episode of the Real Ones podcast in 2023, he revealed how he learned of the events. “My dad told me he was going to pick me up from school on 9/11. I got picked up by my mom. She didn't tell me what was going on for like three days,” Davidson said. 

He also spoke about seeing a trauma therapist to help him navigate both post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. His father’s badge number, 8418, is tattooed on his arm. 

2. Gwyneth Paltrow

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow had an indirect but impactful connection to 9/11. That morning, Paltrow delayed a woman named Lara Lundstrom Clarke while driving home from an early morning yoga class in New York City. This brief moment of “stop-start” as Paltrow described caused Clark to miss her train to the World Trade Center, where she worked. Clarke credits that chance encounter with saving her life.

“[Clarke] was jaywalking across the street and we kind of both stopped at the same time and waited a really long time,” Paltrow told Reuters in a 2011 interview. “Had we not had that interaction she feels like her life would've taken a much different course. She called it her 'Sliding Doors moment.” 

3. Steve Buscemi

Known for his roles in iconic films like Reservoir Dogs and Fargo, actor Steve Buscemi was also a former firefighter. After the attacks, Buscemi quietly returned to his old fire station in New York and worked alongside his former colleagues, helping with search and recovery efforts. He remained largely anonymous during this time, choosing to focus on the job rather than the spotlight.

Buscemi worked 12-hour shifts for several days searching for survivors. At 18 years old, he took the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) civil service test before working as a FDNY fighter in the 1980s.

On an episode of Marc Maron’s WTF podcast in 2021, Buscemi shared that he felt “depressed” upon hearing the news and decided to offer his support. “I asked if I could join them,” he said of his old firehouse, “I could tell they were a little suspicious at first, but I worked with them that day.”

4. Seth MacFarlane

The creator of Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane, had a close call on 9/11. He was scheduled to be on American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A mix-up with his itinerary and arriving late to the airport caused him to miss the flight by minutes, which saved his life.

In 2011, Macfarlane spoke to Howard Stern on an episode of The Howard Stern Show about his experience. “I was giving a lecture at my old college in Rhode Island and went out for a few drinks after and was hungover the next day and missed the flight,” he explained. After being told boarding was closed, MacFarlane slept in the airport lounge before waking up 40 minutes later to the news. 

5. Rob Lowe

Actor Rob Lowe had a chilling connection to 9/11 that only came to light years later. On the evening before, Lowe was on American Airlines Flight 77 from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles. He later learned that this same flight, the next morning, was the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. Lowe has since reflected on the close timing and how deeply 9/11 affected him.

"I flew with the 9/11 hijackers on the dry run, without realizing. I was shooting 'The West Wing' in D.C. at the time and I always took the flight that leaves Dulles to Los Angeles that they eventually put into the Pentagon," he said on The View in 2011. 

Lowe later received a notice in the mail from the Maryland Attorney General that he may have to testify in court during al Qaeda leader Zacarias Moussaoui’s trial. Ultimately, he was not required to. 

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