Celebs who've had near-death experiences -

These stars definitely had a 'die another day' experience. Here's a list of celebrities who lived to tell the tale.

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Charlize Theron - The actress fractured her neck in a near-fatal fashion while performing a back flip on a motorcycle for the movie 'Aeon Flux'. Filming was delayed for eight weeks to allow the actress to recover.

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George Clooney -

George Clooney suffered a near-fatal accident in 2018 when his motorcycle was hit by a car in Sardinia. He was on the Italian island filming 'Catch 22' and on his way to set when he was thrown from the bike and and flew over the handlebars. He recently opened up to The Times about that close brush with mortality, saying, "I was waiting for my switch to turn off." The actor also noted that while the ambulance was on its way and he was still on the ground in agony, a crowd started to form around him and people were filming him on their phones. "If you’re in the public eye, what you realize when you’re on the ground thinking it’s the last minute of your life is that, for some people, it’s just going to be entertainment for their Facebook page," he said. He added, "You want to take every one and shake them." Fortunately, Clooney is fine and still quite sprightly, and he told the UK outlet, "Turning 60 is a bummer. But it’s that or dead."

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Johnny Depp -

The actor was flying in a small plane that belonged to his friend Bruce Robinson when the engine stopped. Fortunately, the engine started up again and they both landed safely. 

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Halle Berry -

The actress suffered many serious injuries while filming, including eye and head injuries while on the movie 'Catwoman'.

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Jason Statham - The actor almost died while filming 'The Expendables 3.' The brakes of the truck he was driving stopped working and he landed in the sea. Luckily, the actor managed to free himself and swim to the surface.

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Ashley Judd -

In February 2021, Ashley Judd detailed her near-death experience in the Congolese jungle, after shattering her leg in a serious fall. In an Instagram post, she spoke of the locals who helped her through the grueling ordeal, without whom she said, "My internal bleeding would have likely killed me.” Her leg was broken in four places and had nerve damage, and a man named Dieumerci sat with her for five hours trying to keep her still. Then another local man named Papa Jean arrived, gave her a stick to bite on, and readjusted the shattered pieces of her leg right there on the jungle floor.  

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Ashley Judd -

And still, after that, she was carried in a hammock for three hours through rugged terrain, then transported on motorbike for six hours, then soothed in the care of more locals, until over two days later she could get on an operating table in South Africa. “I wake up weeping in gratitude, deeply moved by each person who contributed something life-giving and spirit-salving during my grueling 55-hour odyssey,” she wrote. 

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Bradley Cooper -

Bradley Cooper was riding the subway in New York City in October 2019 while listening to music on a pair of noise-canceling headphones when he was held at knifepoint. "I was on the subway [at] 11:45 to pick Lea downtown at Russian school and I got held up at knifepoint," he shared on the November 29 episode of the 'Armchair Expert' podcast. "It was pretty insane." He continued, "I was all the way at the end of the subway. I felt somebody coming up. I thought, 'Oh, they want to take a photo or something.' As I turned, I'm up against the post like it's the French Connection or some s—t, and I turned. I looked down and I see a knife." According to the actor, the knife was about "two-and-a-half, three inches," and that he still could only hear music the whole time, "So it's scored, the whole thing was scored." He recalled that the person was young, and that he just started running toward the exit, jumped over the turnstile, and took his phone out and tried to take some photos of the assailant who by then was running away. Cooper then flagged down police officers on the street, told them what happened, and simply got back on the subway to pick up his daughter. "It was crazy."

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Simon Cowell -

Simon Cowell broke his back in a horrible bike crash on August 8, 2020. He had to go through a six-hour surgery, as he reportedly had a number of breaks and required a metal rod to be put in. He was trying out his new electric bike with his son and his girlfriend’s son when he fell flat on his back. He shared on Twitter: “Some good advice… If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time."

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Leonardo DiCaprio - The actor was almost eaten by a shark while diving in South Africa. He was inside a protective cage, but the shark managed to get half of its body through the bars and tried to bite him.

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Sharon Stone - The actress has revealed in interviews that she almost died twice. The first time was in 1990 when she suffered a car crash that left her with a dislocated jaw, a sprained back, a broken rib, and a twisted knee. She was bedridden for six months. The second time was in 2001, when an aneurysm almost took her life.

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Orlando Bloom - When he was 21, the actor fell three floors while trying to climb up a drainpipe. The fall left him paralyzed for four days, but he fully recovered.

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Drew Barrymore - In 2001, the actress escaped a huge fire thanks to her dog, who began barking frantically when the fire started. Drew and her husband were asleep but fortunately woke up in time to escape.

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Michael J Fox - The actor almost died while filming 'Back to the Future III' when he misplaced his hands during a hanging scene. Everyone thought he was acting really well, until they realized that he wasn't acting at all.

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Bono - The singer managed to cheat death when the back door of his private plane detached mid-flight. The plane landed safely and nobody was hurt.

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Bam Margera -

'Jack*ss' alum Bam Margera appeared on Steve-O's 'Wild Ride' podcast in January to catch up with his old co-star. The pair covered many topics, but the most shocking was Bam's major health scare in December 2022. The 43-year-old was hospitalized with pneumonia and a severe case of COVID-19 after suffering multiple seizures. “Basically, I was pronounced dead on Dec. 8,” Margera said. “I did not know that I had gnarly COVID and my body was shutting down. I went into four seizures, each one lasting 10 to 20 minutes. On the fourth one I bit my tongue so hard it was nearly fallen off." This was all before he went to the hospital!

When he arrived he suffered a fifth seizure and was put on a ventilator. "I woke up five days later thinking I was there for just a couple hours. I spent eight days in there." Steve-O admitted that he thought the skateboarder was going to die when he heard the news about his condition back in December. 

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Denise Richards -

Actress Denise Richards and her husband were thankfully unharmed after a driver shot at them in an incident of road rage on November 14. Richards was heading to a film and TV studio in Los Angeles in a pickup truck with her husband, Aaron, who had slowed as they looked for street parking. That's when an irritated driver behind them started shouting, then squeezed past them and opened fire, TMZ reports. He hit the back end of the truck on the driver's side. Richards only commented on the incident a couple of weeks later, thanking all those who had reached out to her and her husband to offer support, writing on Instagram that they were both "very grateful to be safe." 

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Paul Pelosi -

On Friday, October 28, a 42-year-old man named David DePape invaded the home of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi. DePape entered their home after 2 am and found Paul Pelosi in bed. He reportedly began shouting "Where is Nancy?" and attempted to tie Pelosi up. Pelosi managed to make a desperate 911 call at the beginning of the attack before things escalated and left the line open for the dispatcher. 

When police arrived at the home they saw DePape and Pelosi struggling over a hammer which DePape had brought to attack Pelosi. The officers ordered both men to let go of the weapon, but DePape managed to strike Pelosi violently with the hammer before he was tackled to the ground. Pelosi was rushed to hospital where he underwent surgery to repair a fractured skull. He also sustained serious injuries to his right arm and hands, but was in stable condition. 

DePape was found to have brought zip ties and duct tape with him, suggesting he may have been planning to kidnap one or both of the Pelosis. He pleaded not guilty after being charged with the attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault of an immediate family member of a federal official.

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Jeremy Renner -

On New Year's Day, actor Jeremy Renner was severely injured after being pulled under a runaway snowplow that was sliding down an icy hill. Renner was attempting to save his nephew from being hit by the seven-ton vehicle when he himself fell victim. He suffered eight broken ribs and a collapsed lung, among more than 20 other broken bones. His rehabilitation has been long and painful, but he is now strong enough to talk about what happened. In an interview with Diane Sawyer, airing on April 6 2023, Renner recalled the day of the accident when he was rushed to hospital in critical condition. Through tears, he revealed that he started writing his "final words" to his loved ones on his phone in case he didn't make it. Luckily, Renner came through multiple surgeries successfully and is well on his way to recovery. 

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Georgie Henley -

British actress Georgie Henley, best known for starring in the 'Narnia' film series as a child, revealed that she nearly died at 18 after contracting necrotizing fasciitis. The terrifying condition is more commonly known as flesh-eating disease. Henley described it as "a rare and punishing infection that nearly claimed my life and wrought havoc throughout my body" in a candid Instagram post on October 25. Almost a decade after the horrifying ordeal, the 27-year-old shared her story and her scars. “In order to prevent the amputation of my left hand and arm, I received grueling invasive surgery, and later extensive reconstructive surgery, which resulted in a series of skin grafts and scars,” she explained. The actress bravely shared a photo revealing the scarring on her left arm, writing, "My scars are not something to be ashamed of. They are a map of the pain my body has endured and, most importantly, a reminder of my survival. They do not affect my capacity as an actor, and I’m proud to be a person who has visible scars in this industry.”

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Joaquin Phoenix - The actor suffered a major car accident in 2006. His car brakes failed and he crashed into another vehicle. He suffered serious injuries from the accident but fortunately recovered.

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Salman Rushdie -

Salman Rushdie faced a near-death experience as the famed author was stabbed repeatedly on August 12 at a speaking engagement in western New York. Hadi Matar, 24, was accused of stabbing Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution, leaving three stab wounds to the right side of his neck, four stab wounds to his stomach, a puncture wound to his right eye, a puncture wound to his chest, and a laceration on his right thigh, according to Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt, CNN reports. Rushdie, 75, was airlifted to a hospital in northwestern Pennsylvania and underwent emergency surgery, and a few days later he was awake and "articulate." 

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Salman Rushdie -

Rushdie's agent, Andrew Wylie, confirmed to El País that the author, who has long faced death threats for his 1988 novel 'The Satanic Verses,' has lost vision in one eye and the use of one hand "because the nerves in his arm were cut." Wylie added, "He has about 15 more wounds in his chest." When asked if Rushdie was still in hospital, Wylie said, "I can't give any information about his whereabouts. He's going to live… that's the more important thing." Matar pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury with a deadly weapon. He was refused bail and remanded to the Chautauqua County Jail, where he awaits a potential 32-year sentence if convicted. 

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Cheyenne Floyd -

Cheyenne Floyd started off a new season of 'Teen Mom: The Next Chapter' with news of more drama than the show has ever seen: she and her family survived what seems to be a drive-by shooting. She and fiancé Zach Davis revealed that they were driving with their one-year-old son Ace and five-year-old Ryder, who Floyd shares with ex Cory Wharton, when Floyd noticed a green beam on Davis' face and turned to see someone holding a gun. "It was somebody we both knew. Not only do we know him, he's been here, there's pictures with him and all of a sudden, you start hearing the shots," said Davis. "He hit the car 13 times. We crashed into the back of a Prius. It was the worst feeling in the world." 

The pair didn't speak further on the suspect or the motive, but Floyd shared, "It is a miracle that we are still here and God literally covered us that day because every cop who was there said they do not understand how we're all alive."

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50 Cent - The musician was shot nine times at the door of his grandmother's house in Queens, New York.

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Eddie Vedder -

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder revealed he contracted COVID-19 and had a "pretty serious" battle with the virus. Speaking during his Los Angeles show on February 25, he told the crowd, "I got the COVID right before we were supposed to start practicing, probably five, six weeks ago, and literally saw my life flash in front of my eyes," reports People magazine. "I wasn't quite sure…because I've done some very good things for my body, and I've also had a lot of fun. And I've done some things that could be … some kind of abuse, I mean, nothing really clinical. I won't get into the details. Just use your imagination!"

He continued, "But it was, it felt pretty serious. And to get through that and then be back in a room like this, facing this many people facing this way, and listening to us play music for you is really, truly, it's been a gift and an honor. Thanks for listening. We're so grateful." Vedder has long been a supporter of vaccines and performed at Global Citizen's Vax Live event in May 2021, which encouraged people to get the jabs and raised money to help vaccinate healthcare workers.

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Flavor Flav -

Flavor Flav narrowly escaped death after a massive boulder struck his car. The rapper was driving from Las Vegas to LA on December 14, 2022, when the rain caused a boulder to fall down a cliffside in La Tuna Canyon and smash the right side of his car, temporarily causing him to lose control of the vehicle, TMZ reports. A rep said that if Flav had been just a few feet in another direction, the boulder would have surely killed him. Even though his car was totaled, he made it out safely. Of the miracle, a shaken up Flav said, "God is good," and that he "came very close to death but is super grateful to be alive." 

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Kathryn Prescott -

Actress Kathryn Prescott still has a long road to recovery before she can look back on her traumatic experience with clarity. The 'Finding Carter' star was hit by a cement truck in NYC on September 7, 2021, and sustained terrible injuries all over her body. Her twin sister Megan, with whom she co-starred in the show 'Skins,' shared details of the injuries on Instagram. Prescott broke her pelvis in two places, both of her legs, her foot, and her left hand. 

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Travis Barker -

Travis Barker opened up about being the last remaining survivor of a traumatic plane crash in 2008, calling it "my wake-up call." In an interview with Men's Health, the Blink-182 drummer spoke about his PTSD from the incident, in which he and his friend Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein were flying home from a show when their plane's tires blew during takeoff. The fiery crash killed assistant Chris Baker, security guard Charles Still, and the two pilots. Barker escaped with Goldstein but experienced third-degree burns over half of his body, and about a year later, Goldstein died of an accidental drug overdose. 

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Travis Barker - Barker said the crash functioned kind of like rehab and got him to stop abusing substances. He also hadn't been on a plane for years, until he met Kourtney Kardashian, his now wife.  He said the experience "haunted me for a long time," including survivor's guilt, though he added, "Now it's been so many years, it's getting easier for me. There are days when I'll wake up and never think about it. "Barker told Men's Health, "It will never make sense why my friends are gone, or the pilots, but all I can do is carry on. I can't regret anything. I'm 100% supposed to be here."

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Rebel Wilson -

Rebel Wilson revealed she was kidnapped while on holiday in Mozambique. On the show 'Straight Talking,' she recounted traveling in a cattle truck with a group of women in a rural area when men armed with big guns stopped them and told them to leave their vehicle. Wilson explained she and the other women were taken “to a house in the middle of nowhere” and stayed there until the next morning. Fortunately they weren't harmed, and the next day the men gave them back their truck and let them go. "We didn’t ask any questions," Wilson said, adding that she believed they used the truck to smuggle illegal items.

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Gary Busey -

Actor Gary Busey told The Guardian about his 1988 motorcycle crash where he flew off his bike without a helmet, suffered a major skull fracture, and reportedly passed away briefly after brain surgery. During that time he claims he visited the spiritual realm, where he was surrounded by angels and floating balls of light, and he was also "a quarter of an inch wide and one foot long. That is your soul, and your soul is housed in the column of your spine."

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Gary Busey - The actor also claims he received information from the angels about the path he was going on and his responsibility to mankind, adding that they gave him a choice to return to his body or not. On the experience of death, Busey said, "It is painless, free and lovely."

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Anne Hathaway -

The actress was on vacation in Hawaii and nearly drowned after being caught in a strong current. She was saved by a surfer who took her to the shore.

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Martin Lawrence - The actor suffered severe sunstroke in 1999. He was wearing several layers of clothing while jogging in the sun. Lawrence was apparently trying to lose weight for a role. He was hospitalised and was in a coma for a short period of time.

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Ozzy Osbourne - In 2003, Ozzy suffered a serious all-terrain vehicle accident in which he broke several ribs, his clavicle, and injured his spine.

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Ellie Goulding - In 2016, the singer almost died in a lake in Norway. She had to escape out of the roof of her car in sub-zero temperatures when the ice broke underneath the vehicle she was traveling in.

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Donald Sutherland - The actor contracted meningitis during filming of 'Kelly's Heroes' and almost died. He even reported seeing the light at the end of the tunnel when he was unconscious in hospital.

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Ryan Reynolds - When he was 17, the actor's parachute failed to open during a skydiving class. Reynolds used the reserve parachute and managed to land safely.

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Eminem - The rapper once overdosed on methadone. According to MTV he acquired the pills from an acquaintance and didn't even know what they were.

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Isla Fisher - The actress almost died while filming 'Now You See Me.' She was recording a scene where she was trapped in a water tank when she got into real distress. It took three minutes for someone to realize she was struggling and pull the safety lever.

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Linsey Godfrey - The actress was hit by a car in early 2016 and fractured both legs. She had to endure a long course of physiotherapy.

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Kanye West - The rapper suffered a serious car accident in 2002. West has described the moment in interviews as a turning point in his career.

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Seth MacFarlane - The creator of 'Family Guy' was supposed to board one of the planes that crashed into the Twin Towers on 9/11. However, Seth was hungover from a long party the day before and could not board the plane because he arrived 10 minutes late.

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Rachel Bilson -

The actress suffered a serious car accident when she was only 14 years old and almost died. To this day she suffers from severe migraines prompted by the head injuries that she endured.

See also: 30 theories about what happens when you die

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