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Never Forget Gwyneth Paltrow Saved A Woman On 9/11
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 18, 2011
Modified Aug 18, 2011
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 18, 2011
Modified Aug 18, 2011
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Gwyneth Paltrow saved a life on 9/11, and even if she's only finding out about it ten years later, she's embracing it like her precious Oscar.
Lara Lundstrom Clarke recently decided to share her story from that day, which she calls her "own Sliding Doors moment." Clarke explains that on the morning of September 11th, 2001, she was on her way to work at Baseline Financial Services, on the 77th floor of Tower 2. Rushing to the 1/9 train, she jaywalked across 7th Avenue to the Christopher Street station. She says:
“It was one of those mornings that felt good, you had a little skip in your step. What the heck —I always cut across 7th Avenue. Then all of the sudden a silver Mercedes SUV came barreling down towards me. I stopped and they screeched to a halt. Then it developed in to one of those classic who-goes-first situations. It got ridiculous. Then I made eye contact with the Mercedes driver. OMG it was Gwyneth Paltrow. She waved me across, I crossed and she continued on her way. At least if I was late for work I had a story to tell.”
She ended up missing the train, which was just leaving the platform as she got there. When she eventually got to the Twin Towers, she saw the first plane hit. Four people in her office died that day.
Paltrow's publicist, Stephen Huvane, confirmed the story, saying "she too remembered the encounter between herself and Lara the morning of 9/11 and is 'deeply moved' by the story." Now everyone go buy Sliding Doors to support America's Hero.
[via Videogum]
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9/11
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september 11
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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