25th March 2023 – (Utah) Gwyneth Paltrow, the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer, testified in court on Friday regarding a ski collision that occurred at a Utah ski resort in 2016.
Terry Sanderson, a retired optometrist, is suing Paltrow, claiming that she crashed into him from behind, leaving him with brain damage and four broken ribs. Paltrow, however, insisted that Sanderson ran into her, causing the two skiers to end up splayed out on the beginner run, with Paltrow on top and Sanderson beneath her.
During her testimony, Paltrow clarified that the collision wasn’t sexual in nature after she initially worried that she was being “violated.” The trial has touched on themes ranging from skier’s etiquette to the power — and burden — of celebrity, with Sanderson’s lawyers attempting to depict Paltrow’s decision to leave the mountain to get a massage on the day of the crash as reflective of celebrity carelessness.
Sanderson’s lawyers have also probed Paltrow about the price of ski instructors at the posh Deer Valley Resort to draw the jury’s attention to her wealth. Sanderson is expected to give an opposing account of the crash when he takes the stand first on Monday.