Gwyneth Paltrow took the stand there to testify in the trial over the skiing accident in the ski resort of Utah, where people claim that the carelessness of the movie star on the slope caused broken ribs, brain damage and permanent physical injuries.
Paltrow testified that the accident shocked her — and, at one point, she worried she might be violated. “Two skis came between the skis, forcing my legs. And a body touched me and a very strange grunting sound. My brain was trying to understand what happened,” he said about the collision.
Paltrow and Terry Sanderson, the retired optometrist who is suing her, were both asked to answer questions about the accident as their lawyers jostle to convince the 8-member jury that the skier was down and entitled. The actor turned lifestyle influencer said Sanderson was responsible for the accident.
Paltrow’s much-anticipated testimony came in the middle of the trial and in the late afternoon Sanderson’s lawyers were able to force her to testify. During the week in Utah, her lawyers asked for special restrictions, including limiting photography in the courtroom and in the public parking lot outside – where a cordon covers Paltrow’s way in and out.
Her testimony could last more than an hour and is expected to reflect what she said in a previous deposition about how she “froze” when the accident happened.
“We fell together. This man was behind me on the mountain,” he said in November 2020. “My knees – and our skis – are still tangled. Our bodies are almost spooning and I was moved away quickly. And my knees splayed open, and I was shocked.
Next week, Paltrow’s team is asked to call the stand’s medical experts, ski instructors and their two children, Moses and Apple.
The trial touched on themes ranging from the ethics of skiers to the power – and burden – of celebrity.
After the collision, Sanderson sent an email to his daughter with the subject line: “I’m famous… What’s the cost?” One girl wrote back: “I can’t believe this is all on GoPro either.”
GoPro cameras are commonly used by outdoor athletes and high-end ski resort patrons to capture action sports.
Sanderson’s daughter, Shae Herath, testified Friday that she had no idea the GoPro footage existed, despite the email. He said his father told him over the phone that he thought it was a GoPro footage of the crash — from a man speeding by with a helmet-mounted camera.
“There was a huge, bloody scream. Someone would have seen it,” Herath said, recalling a conversation with his father about how Paltrow screamed during the crash.
While Sanderson’s attorneys are focused on their client’s deteriorating health, Paltrow’s legal team has engaged jurors with persistent questions about the mysterious, missing GoPro footage. No video footage was found or entered into evidence.
The trial has now turned the spotlight on Park City, Utah — a luxury ski town known for rolling out the red carpet for celebrities every January during the Sundance Film Festival — and the skiers-only Deer Valley Resort, where Paltrow and Sanderson collided. The resort is one of the highest in North America, known for its sunny slopes, après-ski champagne yurts and luxury lodges.
The proceedings have delved into the 76-year-old Sanderson’s medical history and personality changes, with lawyers questioning whether his deteriorating health and disconnected relationships were due to the collision or the aging process.
After a judge threw out Sanderson’s previous $3.1 million lawsuit, Sanderson later sought damages of “more than $300,000.” Paltrow has countersued for a symbolic $1 and attorney’s fees. The amount of money at stake for both sides pales in comparison to the typical legal costs of multiyear lawsuits, personal security details and the burdensome trial of expert witnesses.
Paltrow’s attorney spent much of Thursday questioning Sanderson’s references to his client’s wealth and celebrity and what he called his “obsession” with the lawsuit.
The first three days of the trial featured testimony from medical experts, Sanderson’s personal doctor, a skiing friend and his daughter, who said he noticed concussion symptoms less than a year after the accident.
Lawyers Thursday asked Sanderson’s daughter whether her father thought it was “cool” to bump into celebrities like Paltrow, the Oscar-winning star of “Shakespeare in Love” and founder-CEO of the lifestyle brand, Goop.
Paltrow’s lawyers have cast doubt on Sanderson’s medical expertise and suggested that the lawsuit could be an attempt to exploit her fame and celebrity.