Mark Wahlberg on 9/11 Controversy: I'm Just a Real Guy From the Streets!
Mark Wahlberg is continuing to walk back his recent comments about September 11, saying he made a mistake but attempting to put it in some context.
In the latest issue of Men’s Journal, the actor said that he would have handled things differently had he been on one of the planes downed by terrorists.
Wahlberg's 9/11 comments were widely criticized and he quickly apologized. Speaking to Kidd Kraddick in the Morning on Friday, he explained it as such:
“I would never disrespect the victims of 9/11 or their families. It was misunderstood. My only intention was to explain that I would do anything to protect my family – I would put myself in harms way to protect my family or innocent people."
"That was it. First and foremost, I am not speaking as an actor."
"I am a real guy from the streets and I’ve been in a lot of situations, so I was very out of line and I wasn’t thinking about the real heroes and the guys, women, children, fathers, sons, daughters who were on those flights.”
Mark Wahlberg Apologizes For Inane 9-11 Remark
Give Mark Wahlberg credit for a swift, simple and seemingly sincere apology after a boast that he would have fended off 9/11 hijackers and prevented a plane from crashing.
For reasons unknown, he said this to Men's Journal. The quote:
"If I was on the [hijacked] plane with my kids, it wouldn't have went down like it did. There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, 'Okay, we're going to land somewhere safely, don't worry.'"
This came up because Mark was initially booked on one of the fights that was hijacked, only to change it serendipitously. He mused about what might've been.
It did not go over well.
Wahlberg's reps promptly issued a statement from the 40-year-old Contraband star admitting the foolishness of his statements and expressing remorse.
"To speculate about such a situation is ridiculous to begin with, and to suggest I would've done anything differently than the passengers on that plane was irresponsible," Wahlberg wrote. "I deeply apologize to the families of the victims."
"My answer came off as insensitive, and that was certainly not my intention."
Mark Wahlberg Claims He Could've Fended Off 9/11 Hijackers
If only Mark Wahlberg were on one of the planes hijacked on September 11, 2001.
We don't mean that to suggest that we wish Mark were dead - that's precisely the point! In an interview with Men's Journal, the Contraband star claims that if he were on board that fateful day, the storyline would've been much different.
"If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn't have went down like it did," he says.
He's not speaking metaphorically, he's apparently serious. Mark adds:
"There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, 'OK, we're going to land this somewhere safely, don't worry.'"
Presumably, he's kidding. He can't think he would have been able to fight off multiple hijackers and land a plane single-handedly. We hope. But the question remains.
Is this kind of boast insulting to the dead passengers and their families?
Especially those on Flight 93, who basically died to protect others?
[Photo: WENN.com]
Contraband Trailer: Mark Wahlberg Acts Tough, Stuff Explodes!
In Contraband, Mark Wahlberg stars as a reformed hoodlum who thought he was out of "the game," only to find himself pulled back into it by his family.
Having gone straight, but needing to save a brother-in-law who got in over his head, he rejoins his old crew for one last job. Funny how that works out!
Giovanni Ribisi plays what appears to be the main bad guy in this explosive - seriously, a lot of stuff blows up - film. Contraband hits theaters January 13.
Check it out the trailer below, although be forewarned that there are some spoilers. All trailers lay out the story a little, but this one more than usual:
Who Would You Rather: Hot Hunk Edition!
Has the torch of hotness been passed?
At yesterday's Hollywood Foreign Press Association's luncheon in Beverly Hills, Mark Wahlberg took to the podium, looked at Leonardo DiCaprio and said:
"I'm sitting at a table with a gentleman who is better looking than you and is in better shape than me. So, we're both out of a job, dude. Taylor Lautner! We're screwed."
Wahlberg's praise flattered Lautner ("Hearing words like that from Mark and everybody it's just really surreal."), but they simply caused us to wonder: is the rapper-turned-actor correct? Which of these stars would you rather take it from?
Mark Wahlberg, Rhea Durham Welcome Baby #4!
Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham, his longtime partner and his wife of six months, welcomed their fourth child together on Monday evening at 6:35 pm.
The couple is reportedly on cloud nine after welcoming a daughter named Margaret Grace at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, a source says.
"Mark was in the delivery room with Rhea," says the source. "And he cheered her on all the way. Rhea was a real trouper. They can't wait to get home."
"A big happy family with their four kids is what they wanted."
Congratulations to Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham!
Looks like they've gotten there! Rhea and Mark's three older children are Ella, 6, Michael, 4 and Brendan, 1. They all must be psyched to meet Margaret.
Mark's new film, The Lovely Bones, opens later this month.
Mark Wahlberg, Rhea Durham Expecting Fourth Child
Mark Wahlberg and new wife Rhea Durham, with whom he already had three kids before tying the knot, are now expecting their fourth child, the actor announced.
Durham, 31, showed off her growing bump during a weekend shopping trip to The Grove in L.A. She and The Departed star married on August 1 in Beverly Hills.
The two are already parents to Ella, 5, Michael, 3, and Brendan, 11 months.
EXPECTING: Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham are psyched for baby #4.
The actor credits his spouse and their children with helping him shake his former bad boy ways: "We continue to grow in our relationship," Wahlberg says.
"I was not prepared to be married ... at 20 or 30. Committing to making it work and all the things that go into building a foundation is where I'm at now."
"My family travels with me when I work most of the time or I go back and forth on the weekends," he said. "I've been pretty consistent about just making phone calls in the morning and then chasing the kids around in the afternoon."
Congratulations to the happy couple - and family!
Mark Wahlberg and Ali Later Get Married!
No, Mark Wahlberg did not marry Ali Larter yesterday.
But both of these attractive celebrities welcomed in August with a beautiful wedding.
Wahlberg and longtime girlfriend Rhea Durham walked down the aisle late Saturday afternoon at the Good Shephard Catholic Church in Beverly Hills.
The small ceremony lasted approximately 45 minutes, as Wahlberg held hands with daughter Ella prior to tying the knot. He and Durham are the parents of three children: Ella, 5, Michael, 3, and Brendan, 10 months.
Larter, meanwhile, said she does to Hayes MacArthur in an intimate ceremony at his parents' home in Kennebunkport. It's the first marriage for both.
Actress Amy Smart was among the guests, as guests actually arrived at the event via trolley car.
Congratulations to both these happy couples!
Celebrities Flock to Christmas Lakers Game
The Lakers are the hottest ticket in L.A. - at least when the happen to be playing the World Champions. Yesterday, the heated Lakers-Boston Celtics rivalry resumed and numerous stars ventured to the Staples Center to take in the action.
For instance, here's Snoop Dogg, wife Shante Broadus and Boston's own Dane Cook cheering on their respective teams. Yeah, we know, it's no Zanessa ...
Click to enlarge more pictures of celebs (including a DJ AM sighting!) at yesterday's big NBA contest, which was somehow won by Los Angeles, 92-83 ...
[Photo Credits: Splash News Online]
Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals, Isn't Pleased About it
Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg portrayed Mark Wahlberg in a skit called "Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals" on the show's October 11 episode.
Despite - or perhaps because of - the surreal and ridiculous concept of the skit, Samberg's dead-on imitation of Marky Mark makes it pretty funny.
Well, the real Mark Wahlberg apparently has no sense of humor, bashing the show in a recent interview with the New York Post, then only half-jokingly threatening to beat up Samberg on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday night.
Here's the SNL skit, followed by Wahlberg's response on Kimmel:
Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals
Follow the jump for Mark Wahlberg's assessment of Samberg's impression of him. Good thing for Andy, the skit wasn't called Rhea Durham Talks to Animals ...
