In a new interview, Jennifer Lawrence recalled bracing herself for death on a private jet that almost crashed over the summer of 2017.
For Vanity Fair’s Dec/Jan cover story, Lawrence, 31, recalled her Louisville, Kentucky flight to New York, during which both of the planes’ engines failed, leaving the actress and fellow passengers convinced they were all going to die.
“My skeleton was all that was left in the seat,” she told the magazine. “We were all just going to die. I started leaving little mental voicemails to my family, you know, ‘I’ve had a great life, I’m sorry.’”
When explaining why she would have apologized to her family, Lawrence said, “I just felt guilty. Everybody was going to be so bummed. And, oh, God, Pippi [Lawrence’s dog] was on my lap. That was the worst part. Here’s this little thing who didn’t ask to be a part of any of this.”
Lawrence says she “started praying”, stating, “Not to the specific God I grew up with, because he was terrifying and a very judgmental guy. But I thought, ‘Oh, my God, maybe we’ll survive this? I’ll be a burn victim, this will be painful, but maybe we’ll live.’”
The plane landed roughly, but safely, in Buffalo, New York, leaving the relieved passengers in tears, hugging each other. Lawrence, who says she had to immediately board another plane, reflected on the outcome of the experience, saying, “It made me a lot weaker. Flying is horrific and I have to do it all the time.”