Twenty-one years after the 9/11 attacks, stories of those who narrowly escaped disaster continue to emerge. Among them are several celebrities who, due to chance or circumstance, avoided being in the planes or buildings that were struck.
Michael Jackson, according to his brother Jermaine, was scheduled for a morning meeting at the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001. However, the singer overslept after a late-night conversation with his mother and siblings. Jermaine Jackson later wrote in his memoir that Jackson credited his mother with saving his life, as she had kept him talking until the early hours, causing him to miss the appointment.
Actor Mark Wahlberg was booked on American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to hit the World Trade Center. He and his friends made a last-minute decision to attend the Toronto Film Festival instead. Wahlberg later sparked controversy by claiming he would have stopped the hijacking had he been on board, comments he subsequently apologised for.
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane was also scheduled on Flight 11 but arrived late at the airport due to a hangover. He missed the flight by about ten minutes. After booking the next flight, he fell asleep in the airport lounge and woke up to the news of the attacks. Realising his narrow escape, he told a bartender he was meant to be on that plane, who then gave him a shot.
