Actress and lifestyle influencer Gwyneth Paltrow testified in court on Friday about a 2016 ski collision at a resort in Utah for which she is being sued. Terry Sanderson, a retired optometrist, is suing Paltrow for $300,000, claiming that her recklessness caused the crash and left him with lasting physical injuries.
During her two-hour testimony, Gwyneth Paltrow alleged that Sanderson crashed slowly into her as she was skiing down the slopes, forcing her legs apart and pressing against her. She claimed that she initially feared the collision might have been something “perverted” or a prank.
Sanderson and his attorneys, however, have offered a different narrative. They claim that Paltrow “skied out of control,” crashing into him on a beginner run and causing him a brain injury, four broken ribs, and other serious injuries.
Paltrow denied engaging in “risky behavior” on the ski run, and said that she skied as she normally would even though her children were present that day. She also denied skiing in a more risky fashion when her children were with her.
During the cross-examination, Sanderson’s attorney asked Paltrow about her behavior after the collision, questioning why she would yell at him if she wanted to maintain a “low profile” on the slopes. Paltrow responded that she felt violated and upset, and was worried about her knee.
The trial will last eight days, with each side getting four days to call their own witnesses. Friday marked the final day that Sanderson’s attorneys could compel Paltrow to testify.
In the previous depositions, Paltrow said that she “froze” when the crash happened, while she was on a beginners’ slope with one of her children. The trial has shone a spotlight on Park City and Deer Valley resort, where the collision took place. The resort is among the most upscale in North America.
