When Derek Jeter's late-night party snub kept him out of cuffs in Jennifer Lopez & Sean Comb's 1999 gun possesion arrest

The legendary Yankees captain Derek Jeter came dangerously close to losing his life in December 1999. He was protected from the chaos at Club New York by a stroke of luck and a wise choice.

Back in 1999, the relationship between pop star Jennifer Lopez and rapper Sean Combs, also known as Puff Daddy, was the talk of the town.

A series of incidents that might have doused Jeter in controversy was set off by a fateful invitation to a party at Club New York. Mike Evans, a close friend of Jeter's, received a text from Puff Daddy inviting him to the club.

But Jeter's caution came through. He decided to prioritize his game the following day over the allure of a star-studded night by choosing to rest instead.

“You know what man, I’m going to bed. I got a game tomorrow,” Jeter said.

He had no idea that the choice he had made would be so important. After firing a shot, Puff Daddy was taken into custody for possessing a weapon, which changed the course of the evening at Club New York.

“We got lucky. My name would’ve been a part of this story,” Jeter said.

Jeter expressed his gratitude for his fortunate absence in his ESPN documentary, "The Captain," which examined the incident. Jeter might have been forever associated with the scandal had he attended.

Sean Combs and Jennifer Lopez: Nightclub Incident of 1999

Sean Combs and Jennifer Lopez

In a shocking turn of events in 1999, singer-actress Jennifer Lopez and music mogul Sean "Puffy" Combs were both detained and accused of criminal possession of a weapon. The incident happened after a nightclub altercation turned violent and resulted in three people being shot.

Combs was accused of firing a gun during a dispute inside a club near Times Square, according to eyewitness reports.

A gun that was later determined to have been stolen from Georgia was found in their vehicle as police conducted their investigation. Lopez and the rapper were also accused of illegally possessing stolen property.

Not long after the nightclub shooting, the couple and two other people were captured. None had a license for the 9 mm handgun discovered in their SUV.

After attempting to flee the scene while running a red light, the car was stopped. Jamal 'Shyne' Barrow, a rising rapper, then drew a semi-automatic handgun and shot at the man, hitting three bystanders instead.

Combs and Lopez were detained. It was reported that JLo was restrained to a bench for 14 hours while in custody. Because there was no supporting evidence, she was given a pass. However, Combs had a case to defend.