'To suggest I would have done anything differently than the passengers on that plane was irresponsible,' admits the 'Fighter' star after his comments in Men's Journal magazine drew criticism.
- Jan 19, 2012
AceShowbiz - Mark Wahlberg is expressing remorse for his "insensitive" remarks about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. In a statement issued on Wednesday, January 18, the Terry Hoitz of "The Other Guys" admitted he crossed the line by boasting in an interview with Men's Journal magazine that things could have turned out differently had he made his flight.
"To speculate about such a situation is ridiculous to begin with, and to suggest I would have done anything differently than the passengers on that plane was irresponsible," the 40-year-old actor said in the statement released by his representatives. "I deeply apologize to the families of the victims that my answer came off as insensitive, it was certainly not my intention."
When speaking to Men's Journal for its February issue, Mark revealed that he was scheduled to be on one of the two planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The rapper-turned-actor went on to speculate what would have happened had he actually ended up among the passengers on the flight.
"If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn't have went down like it did," said the Micky Ward of "The Fighter". He added, "There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, 'OK, we're going to land somewhere safely. Don't worry.' "
The actor's remarks quickly drew criticism, and a widow of Flight 93 hero called him out in a response. Deena Burnett-Bailey told TMZ, "Does Mark Wahlberg have a pilot's license? Then I think hindsight is 20/20 and it's insignificant to say what you would have done if you weren't there."
"The plan for Flight 93 was foiled by heroes," the widow of Thomas Burnett, who helped prevent the plane from reaching its Washington, D.C., target, continued. "For him to speculate that his presence on board could have stopped everything is silly and disrespectful. Sounds like someone is grandstanding."
