News Anchors and Celebrities Reflect on 9/11 for Its 25th Anniversary
The morning of September 11, 2001, began as an unexpectedly quiet news day at CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta. “Our main story was about basketball legend Michael Jordan contemplating a return to the NBA, followed by updates on the renovation of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.,” anchor Carol Lin recalls to Us. “We had no idea that the day would take such a drastic turn.”
At 8:47 a.m., during a commercial break, an executive rushed past Lin to notify the control room about unconfirmed reports of a passenger plane crashing into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Just moments later, a producer notified Lin through her earpiece that she would have to provide unscripted coverage. “The teleprompter went blank,” the author of When News Breaks remembers. “The breaking news graphics activated, and a full-screen image of the burning World Trade Center appeared.”
“This just in: You’re witnessing a very distressing live shot,” Lin, the first TV anchor to break the news, informed viewers as images of thick black smoke billowing from the iconic building filled the screen.
When a second commercial airline struck the South Tower at 9:03 a.m., Lin and the world understood it wasn’t just a coincidence. “We realized that America was under attack,” Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade tells Us. “I couldn’t stay in the office, so I went downtown with cameraman Scott Wilder. As the Towers burned and collapsed, we walked through streets covered in white dust, passing weary firefighters mourning their fallen colleagues.”
Before the morning ended, two additional planes hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and crashed in a rural field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The four coordinated attacks resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths and countless injuries.
“I instinctively knew it was a deliberate attack and stated that on air,” Fox News anchor Jon Scott recalls. “Moments later, I suggested that Osama bin Laden should be among the suspects. As someone who had aspired to be a private pilot, I had researched the ‘Bojinka plot,’ where he had attempted—ultimately unsuccessfully—to blow up U.S. jumbo jets over the Pacific. Sadly, he succeeded on 9/11.” (In 2011, U.S. Navy SEALs captured and killed bin Laden, the founder and leader of al-Qaeda, in Pakistan.)
Though the attacks happened solely on the East Coast, a wave of fear and grief quickly spread across the nation. “The shock we felt was tangible,” said iHeart’s 104.3 MYfm Los Angeles radio host Sean Valentine. “We all burst into tears on the air. Callers were anxious about their loved ones in New York. No one could comprehend what we were witnessing, and uncertainty loomed about what would happen next.”
For Valentine, the incident hit particularly close to home: his wife, Leilani, had just boarded a plane when the second tower was struck. “I was frantic,” he shares. “I called her immediately, relieved they hadn’t taken off yet, as we truly had no idea what was unfolding. Leilani watched as law enforcement officers and first responders on the plane hurriedly exited. I remember specifically telling her, ‘Get up and leave. I don’t care what they say. Just get off.’ Almost instantly, they began a full deboarding.”
Likewise, veteran soap opera star Kate Linder, who also serves as a flight attendant, was set to board a plane that day. “[My colleague] Brenda called to tell me, ‘You’re not flying today,’” she recounts. “I replied, ‘Yes, I am.’ Then she asked, ‘Do you have a TV on?’ I said, ‘No.’ She urged, ‘You should turn it on.’ I insisted I couldn’t call in sick.” Ultimately, the Federal Aviation Administration mandated a complete shutdown of U.S. airspace one hour after the initial plane hit the World Trade Center, with airports beginning to reopen two days later under strict security protocols.
The attacks profoundly affected the entertainment industry, resulting in the postponement or cancellation of numerous films, TV shows, music events, and sporting projects. Former CBS News morning anchor and Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves wanted to contribute in any capacity she could. “With planes grounded, I thought about how often I fly during summer for a fun yet trivial reality show. But I’m a journalist and felt compelled to dedicate my life to uncovering who was behind the attacks on our nation,” she explains to Us. “As I went through the motions of doing the show, I felt an acute sense of dissonance.”
Years later, Chen Moonves reported on the Iraq War from the Middle East, discovering that Big Brother had, indeed, made a significant impact. “So many brave men and women in our U.S. military approached me with their disposable cameras saying, ‘Hey, we love Big Brother. Can we take a photo with you?’” she recounts. “I realized it wasn’t just a frivolous reality show; it genuinely brings families together, provides joy and laughter, and entertains the courageous men and women serving our country.” Linder shared a similar sentiment regarding her longstanding role as Esther Valentine on The Young and the Restless. “People sought entertainment during that challenging time. I cherish how our show is entertaining yet educational at the same time,” she reflects.
Others were hesitant about returning to work. “Many of us wondered if we should even come in,” admitted former Extra host Leeza Gibbons. “Entertainment is inherently an American export, and it felt like the terrorists aimed to destroy our lifestyle. Studios and productions paused with a chilling awareness that Hollywood could be the next target.” However, as time passed, Gibbons felt storytelling was her “duty” and shifted into “go mode.”
The Television Academy also addressed the national tragedy. The Primetime Emmy Awards, originally scheduled for September 16, were postponed to November 4 due to the attacks. “The tone of the show, when it aired, focused on celebrating the American spirit rather than merely honoring American talent,” Gibbons observed. “As a nation, we came together in a powerful moment of unity.” Even rival cities like New York and L.A. formed a unique bond, as Valentine noted. “That morning and in the days that followed, the distance to Manhattan, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, felt much closer. They were all part of us.”
Today, 25 years later, Lower Manhattan is flourishing once more, with a rising population, global businesses operating from One World Trade Center, and millions visiting the National September 11 Memorial & Museum each year. But as Kilmeade emphasizes, “The city has never ceased to honor those we lost. It stands as a testament that when we declared we would never forget, we meant it.”
