A few days ago, The Morton Report had a story about how Gwyneth Paltrow “saved a life” on 9/11. CB, Bedhead and I all debated whether we should cover it, because it’s a confluence of touchy subjects – 9/11, Gwyneth, peasants. As we approach the ten-year anniversary of 9/11, I’m sure we’re already going to be bombarded with survival stories, which is fine. I’m already preparing myself to be a total sobbing mess for about two weeks straight, just as soon as all of the documentaries start (Sidenote: have you ever seen the one about 9/11 photography project? I was a mess. Or the one about a woman who took in an elderly homeless man after the attacks? I couldn’t stop crying.) Getting back to Gwyneth and this story… it’s not that I don’t believe this survivor’s story… it’s just that I’m not sure Gwyneth deserves the credit for “saving a life”…? You can read the woman’s story here, at The Morton Report. The highlights from the story:
Lara Lundstrom Clarke’s life was saved by a Sliding Doors chance encounter with Gwyneth Paltrow on September 11, 2001.
It was one of those pristine blue-sky New York mornings, and Lara Lundstrom, a 24-year-old account manager at Baseline Financial Services, decided to rollerblade on the Hudson before work. She knew if she was quick, she could get in some sweat time and make it to her job on the 77th floor of Tower 2 of the World Trade Center by 9:00 am.
After a quick shower she donned her work attire, an Ann Taylor Loft grey skirt and blouse, slipped on a pair of low kitten heels, grabbed her purse and ran out the door. Of course making it in time for her 1/9 train meant she had to jaywalk across 7th street to Christopher Street station. No problem, she’d made a habit of that.
“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. I knew she lived down the street, so it made sense. 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 raced to the subway, hurtled down the stairs to the platform only to watch the doors of the 1/9 slam shut.
She had no idea she had just experienced her own real life Sliding Doors moment, the movie starring Paltrow about a chance romantic encounter that depended on whether or not she caught a subway train.
“At that time I was annoyed at everything that had made me late that day, including Gwyneth Paltrow,” Lara recalls.
[From The Morton Report]
The woman ends up being late, and when she got to her subway stop, the first plane had hit. Gwyneth’s publicist, Stephen Huvane, confirmed to media outlets that Gwyneth “remembered the encounter between herself and Lara the morning of 9/11” and that Goop was “deeply moved” by Lara’s story. Does Gwyneth deserve credit? Sure, I guess. I don’t know. I would have liked the story more if Gwyneth had actually stopped someone on the street to call them a fat peasant, and THAT was why they were late for work. Possible vehicular manslaughter doesn’t feel like saving a life.
Can we move on to something more typically superficial and Goop-tastic? Us Weekly reports that Gwyneth bitched out some random person who had given her maid a ride to Goop’s house in the Hamptons. This is more like it:
Down-to-earth or downright rude? Gwyneth Paltrow is receiving mixed reviews from insiders in New York’s Hamptons this summer. Though one witness at the Maidstone Club tells the new issue of Us Weekly that the Oscar winner, 38, is “sweet to staffers,” another source says Paltrow is anything but.
Case in point? After a friendly traveler gave Paltrow’s housekeeper a lift from a bus stop to her home, the actress reprimanded the driver.
“Gwyneth was mad that the maid showed strangers where she lived,” the insider tells Us. “Gwyneth said, ‘Please don’t give my maid a ride again!'”
Paltrow’s rep denies she got huffy over the help. “Her housekeeper has a car, and Gwyneth would never say something like that.”
[From Us Weekly]
Gwyneth “would never say anything like that”? Who is Huvane kidding? We know our Goop. It was probably much worse than that. Gwyneth probably told the driver, “I wanted her to walk to work because she’s so fat. Why didn’t you understand that? Now get your peasanty lorry out of my roundabout, as we say in my motherland, jolly old England!”
Photos courtesy of Fame.
I’m willing to bet she said that to her maid. What a bitch.
No one cares where she lives. She is probably afraid Chris would get in the car with the stranger and escape from her.
THIS B*TCH. For all her pseudo-hippie spiritual concientous food crap, she’s DRIVING an SUV in NYC???
WHAT NEED?
Not a Gwyneth fan, but this is silly. And I’m from NYC, too. I know that 9/11 is still a sore point for a lot of us, but it sounds like that woman is trying to maximize publicity. I don’t think this can be put on GP. The woman could’ve just said she was nearly run down and it ended up saving her life.
I have always liked this actress and I think she is incredibly smart. Why is she always attacked this much over trivialities?
Oh noes….does she have the same pr guy as Jennifer Aniston?
You mean she doesn’t scrub the tub in the middle of her bedroom? Why didn’t they cast her in “The Help”?
A weird twist of fate saved that woman’s life. Goop doesn’t deserve credit (or is claiming any) for anything besides almost running a pedestrian down (and probably waving her on with much annoyance), but the Sliding Doors connection is interesting.
That woman was incredibly lucky, and I’ve heard several stories over the years of people who had close calls like that. But if the media is going to report “saved a life” stories, it should be about those who actually did, especially as many of them lost their lives or are struggling with horrible health problems now.
I’m surprised Goop lowered her standards to holiday in the US! How ghastly. 😀
So…did gwynnie just happen to be out in the street when the ‘maid’ was dropped off? This story sounds too snarky to me.
ummm lets see … oh yeah she’s a bitch
thats why she’s always “attacked”
I also think this woman should of just said that she was almost run down. and keep GP out of it!
LMOL @ “I don’t know. I would have liked the story more if Gwyneth had actually stopped someone on the street to call them a fat peasant, and THAT was why they were late for work” AND your take on what really went down in Gwyneth’s conversation with the person who gave her maid a ride.
Kaiser, seriously, you CRACK me up!!!!
@ Strawberry girl “She is probably afraid Chris would get in the car with the stranger and escape from her.” THAT got a good laugh too!
All in all, doesn’t sound like Goop’s taking too much credit on her own for this. And for that I give her credit.
I’m glad to know that through all this she was wearing her Ann Taylor loft grey skirt.
1. Goop ISN’T taking credit so can we please move on?
2. “Why is she always attacked this much over trivialities?” I HAVE NO FRIGGIN CLUE. I actually don’t find her all that annoying. Perhaps I am just as annoying.
3. Why are we still talking about the damn bathtub? haha SERIOUSLY. Lets make fun of her husband for being a shit live singer…but the bath tub does not deserve our hatred.
ps. Jingo Jango, lovely job on using two controversial article references in your post. Well done! 😉
haha@Len – I thought the same thing.
My family has a home in the Hamptons. No one gives a shit where Goop lives. She’s not nearly as important as she thinks she is, especially in the Hamptons.
There are so many sad 9/11 stories, but the sweetest one to me is the one in which the husband calls his wife from one of the Twin Towers and tells her about what is going on, how much he loves her, how he loved their life together, and then he tells her, “Honey, I think have to go now.” The tower then collapses. I am crying at my desk just writing about it. I can see how Ms Lundstrom relates her interaction with Goop as part of her 9/11 experience, but I really don’t think it is newsworthy. If Goopy Poo had been a Wall Street business woman or a homeless woman who had caused Ms Lundstrom to be late for her train, would it really be newsworthy? I can see too how it kind of puts Gwen Gwen in an awkward spot. To not comment on it could really make her look like a bitch but then to acknowledge it, she risks looking as though she wants the publicity. I am sure Fishmonger is sending her a basket of his finest to her Hampton’s beach house, with a little note that reads, “Hang in there, Honey. You have handled everything like the super star that you are. Love, hugs, and fish– Fishmonger”
This is a nice story. But those 7th ave subways come evey minute or two, it’s not like a metro north train. And it took more than a minute or two to get to the towers once at the subway station, more to get up the elevator. And she didn’t have to be at work until 9 and the first plane hit at 8:46. But of course in the big picture it was a close call, given where she worked. Not sure it had anything to do with gp, but the outcome was still good.
@Rhiley Thank u Thanku THANKU for making me laugh this morning I needed it!! 😀 Goopy posts always crack me up Thanks Kaiser but that comment is priceless!! Dang This site is awesome!
Right, Gwyn… don’t even compare this to the actual heroes of 9/11. Maybe all the skipping to work cause her to be late..not Gwyn
@ Liamarie
I am happy to see someone from the Hamptons weighing in. I’ve never been there but it sounds yummy. Have a good end of summer time there, darling!
ok. first of all nobody “saved” this woman’s life. she missed her train, which was an act of serendipity. people like to come up with survivor stories as a way of making themselves feel better (“i’m so lucky”) & connecting with others, that’s all. more importantly, are silver mercedes SUVs hybrid cars? if not, tsk tsk; i would think goop would drive a hybrid, or using taxis like everyone else in NYC?
i don’t believe the maid story, either.
uh no, goop did not “save a life” on 9/11. this is ridiculous.
Don’t care about gwyneth but i love that you used the word “confluence”. Its a good word. I think I might make it the word of the day and try to work it in some reports.
*ahem* dear gwynnie, your shit stinks, just like the rest of us. Yours insincerely, a proud peasant
If I was famous, I wouldn’t want randoms knowing where I live with my children. Also 9/11 lady is using GP’s name for publicity which is just sick.. And I’m not usually one to defend or attack GP because I just don’t care enough about her. But these stories are ridiculous.
All this sounds like to me is that she almost ran down a pedestrian. Not sure how it’s heroic.
@ Rhiley –
That made me tear up too. Yes, I know Fishsticks isn’t the one who’s putting this story out, but if she has any decency whatsoever, she ought to make a statement saying, “I’m glad that a chance encounter saved this woman’s life, but I do not believe that it is fair or accurate to make me out as any sort of 9/11 hero, especially when compared to the thousands of NYC police and first responders who actually were heroes that day.”
But instead, she’s probably lounging by her outdoor natural pizza oven, dreaming of salad nicoise, and telling her children that “Mumsy is a September eleventh hero! Isn’t this a lark, dears?”
“She had no idea she had just experienced her own real life Sliding Doors moment, the movie starring Paltrow about a chance romantic encounter that depended on whether or not she caught a subway train.”
Wow, way to trivialize 9/11, article.
Gwyneth lives on Old Montauk Hwy in Amagansett. Anyone could look it up.
She’s not even in an enclave near the water.
lol at the last story, and thanks gweenie for not revealing whats under that towel…
What does Ben Vereen have to say about all of this?
gp-what is she like…
“if she has any decency whatsoever, she ought to make a statement saying, “I’m glad that a chance encounter saved this woman’s life, but I do not believe that it is fair or accurate to make me out as any sort of 9/11 hero, especially when compared to the thousands of NYC police and first responders who actually were heroes that day.”
yes, she should. but she won’t.
No the Goopster didn’t really save a life, because honestly it could have been anybody in the car that day. Or perhaps fate would have intervened some other way (Like she might have tripped, or perhaps someone would spill coffee all over her).
About the whole maid walking thing, if it’s true it does sound bitchy. But I can understand that as celebrity she wouldn’t want the whole world knowing her address. But perhaps she could have that driver sign a clause or something. That way maid can still get a ride but the driver can’t tell anybody without getting into legal trouble.
This is kind of a non-story. It’s one of those random coincidences that makes for a good story because it involves a celebrity and helped this woman be late for work, which ended up saving her life.
All Gwyneth did was acknowledge the fact she remembered this woman. She didn’t claim she saved her life (that was the woman) or say she was a hero, comparing herself to the police officers, fire fighters and countless others who sacrificed their lives that day. So I don’t believe she has any obligation here to “apologize” for anything.
I don’t like Gwyneth but she doesn’t deserve any criticism here, especially when she is not the one who brought attention to this story.
Lara is just looking for her moment of fame, and of course Gwyneth loves to be flattered, and to believe she is something special.
For those who don’t know why GP is so disliked, I once wondered the same thing. Then I happened to catch The Rachel Ray show while on the treadmill and she was the guest that day. (I saw the re-run actually.) I THEN COMPLETELY understood! She was so OBNOXIOUS AND CONDESCENDING, it was nauseating to watch and listen – I had to change the channel. I now stand firmly in the camp of haters (although I prefer to say dislikers) and here I will remain.
I’m not buying the maid story. How would Goop know a stranger dropped off the maid? Was she standing out front, arms crossed, tapping one foot, looking at her watch? Of course not.
Another thing, so a stranger drives the maid to work. Who said the maid told the driver who her employer was?
I can’t stand Goop but this is too far fetched for me.
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