Drama in the courtroom as Gwyneth Paltrow testifies

Gwyneth Paltrow has denied that she caused a ski collision with retired optometrist Terry Sanderson on February 26, 2016. Sanderson is seeking $300,000 in damages, having been left with life-changing injuries, including a concussion and four broken ribs, following the incident in Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, where Paltrow was skiing with her family. Paltrow hit Sanderson from behind, according to his lawsuit, and is accused of skiing “out of control” and causing the accident. Paltrow’s lawyers have denied the allegations, saying that she was downhill in front of Sanderson and stopping when he collided with her on an “easy, beginner” run.

A video of Paltrow’s deposition was played in court last Wednesday, in which she called the incident a “very, very scary situation” and said that she braced herself as Sanderson hit her from behind. Paltrow also said that she did not remember skiers passing her at a high rate of speed, as Sanderson’s lawsuit claims. She disagreed with Sanderson’s description of the accident but said that she could not recall the exact sequence of events.

Paltrow’s countersuit, filed in January 2019, seeks a symbolic $1 in damages and reimbursement of legal fees. The suit claims that Sanderson’s lawsuit was brought with “no basis in fact” and that he experienced no damage to his income or lifestyle following the accident.

This is not the first time that Paltrow has been involved in a high-profile lawsuit. In 2018, the actress’ company, Goop, agreed to pay a $145,000 settlement over “unsubstantiated” claims about the benefits of vaginal eggs and other products on the website. Paltrow was also criticised earlier this year for promoting a book by a British doctor who has been struck off the British Medical Register and fined by the General Medical Council for wrongly claiming that certain foods caused cancer.

The trial will continue in Salt Lake City, Utah, until Wednesday, with Sanderson’s former medical colleague expected to offer evidence regarding his injuries. His lawsuit claims that he suffered a “closed brain injury”, and that he has experienced “permanent traumatic brain injury”, “short term memory loss”, and “ongoing medical treatment”. The prosecution will also seek to demonstrate that Paltrow was responsible for injuries that he sustained in the incident.



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