(The Frisky) -- When Michael Jackson died last summer, it kick-started a year with a disturbing number of celebrity deaths. Which is why we are so extremely overjoyed when a celebrity survives a life-threatening incident. Of course, we are referring to rocker/reality TV star Bret Michaels.





Over the past few months, Bret has had a series of extremely close calls. First, in mid-April, he was rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. Not two weeks later, he had a brain hemorrhage that left him in the ICU for more than a week. "I'm lucky to be alive," he told People at the time. But as soon as he was on the mend, he had a warning stroke. As doctors examined him to see what was up, they found that he also has a hole in his heart.





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But just days later, Bret was feeling better and managed to make it to the live taping of the season finale of "Celebrity Apprentice." There, he triumphed over Holly Robinson Peete and walked away the show's victor. Seriously, this guy is unbreakable. He's scheduled for surgery for the fall to make sure his lover-boy heart keeps on beating. So what other stars have had near-death experiences? Answer: a lot of them.





Lance Armstrong





What's better than having a brain hemorrhage, a warning stroke, a hole in your heart and still making it to the "Celebrity Apprentice" finale? Defeating testicular cancer and going on to win seven Tour de France titles. When Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer in 1996, it had already spread to his lungs and brain. But with surgery to remove tumors and chemotherapy, he was able to beat the disease and return to cycling in 1999. Live strong, indeed.





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Jason Priestley





Jason Priestley of "Beverly Hills, 90210" has cheated death on repeat. In 1999, while driving drunk, he crashed his Porsche. A few years later, he was involved in a serious boat accident. Then in 2002, he was in a pre-race crash on a Kentucky speedway that left him with a fractured spine and several other injuries. Here's hoping that's the last crash for Brandon Walsh.





Boy George





Boy George was almost killed by, of all things, a disco ball. In 1999, Culture Club was rehearsing at a venue when a 62-pound ball snapped, falling and clipping George on the way down. He suffered minor injuries, but if he was standing a few feet over he could have been in big trouble.





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Kanye West





Kanye West was in a nasty car crash driving home from his recording studio in 2002 at 3 a.m. His rental car was totaled, but he walked away with just a fractured jaw.





Eminem





In 2005, Eminem came close to overdosing after taking an entire handful of methadone pills. His doctor said this was the equivalent of shooting up four bags of heroin. And this was on top of the 20 prescription pills he was taking a day. Last May, Eminem told Vibe he'd been sober for a year. Let's hope it stays that way.





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Dustin Hoffman





Back in the 70s, Dustin Hoffman lived in New York City in an apartment next door to a member of the radical student anti-war group Weather Underground. The group was evidently making bombs in the apartment, and a stick of dynamite was accidentally set off. Luckily, Dustin had stepped out of his apartment at the time.





50 Cent





50 Cent was famously shot nine times in 2000 in Queens, New York, and lived to tell the tale.





Joaquin Phoenix





Joaquin Phoenix was driving in Los Angeles when the brakes of his car gave out. His car flipped and he collided with another vehicle. Phoenix was helped out of the car by a passerby --
In what year was the accident Kanye? Who got in a car accident in 2002? What celebs have had near-death experiences? Who got into a car accident while driving home in 2002? What kind of celebrities have had near-death experience?
2002 Jason Priestley Bret Michaels. Kanye West a lot of them.
question: In what year was the accident Kanye?, answer: 2002 | question: Who got in a car accident in 2002?, answer: Jason Priestley | question: What celebs have had near-death experiences?, answer: Bret Michaels. | question: Who got into a car accident while driving home in 2002?, answer: Kanye West | question: What kind of celebrities have had near-death experience?, answer: a lot of them.