Claims Ski Collision Wasn’t Her Fault—Initially Thought It Was ‘Something Perverted’

Topline

Gwyneth Paltrow, the Oscar-winning actress embroiled in a closely watched (and sometimes bizarre) civil suit from a retired optometrist who says she crashed into him while skiing, testified Friday the man had run into her from behind, saying she initially believed the incident to be a “practical joke” or sexual assault.

Gwyneth Paltrow testified that the man suing her was to blame for a 2016 skiing collision.

Associated Press

Key Facts

Paltrow, who is being sued by 76-year-old Terry Sanderson for $300,000, claimed Friday that Sanderson had run into her from behind while skiing, that she was confused by the collision and she wondered whether someone was “doing something perverted” when she felt a body pressing into her.

Both Paltrow and Sanderson then fell to the ground as their skis became entangled, Paltrow claims, before Paltrow pushed away and yelled at him.

Paltrow said she then skied down the mountain to meet with her children and then-boyfriend Brad Falchuk for lunch, noting she felt discomfort in her right knee and pain in her back.

Lawrence Buhler, one of Sanderson’s attorneys, said previously that Paltrow had turned around to look for her children before crashing into Sanderson, who said he broke his ribs and suffered permanent brain damage in the collision.

Crucial Quote

Kristin VanOrman, Sanderson’s lawyer, asked how tall Paltrow was shortly after Paltrow was sworn in. The pair then had a back-and-forth conversation, with VanOrman suggesting she was “so jealous” that Paltrow was just under 5-foot-10, and that she would “have to wear four-inch heels just to make it to” 5-foot-5. Paltrow responded: “Oh, they are very nice.”

Surprising Fact

What To Watch For

Both Falchuk and Sanderson are expected to testify next week, in addition to Falchuk and Paltrow’s two children.

Key Background

Sanderson filed the lawsuit against Paltrow in 2019, three years after the pair collided while skiing in Park City, Utah. Sanderson, a retired optometrist, initially sued for $3 million and claimed the incident was a hit-and-run. Paltrow has acknowledged that she and Sanderson crashed into each other, though she has denied she was the one to run into him. She has filed a counterclaim, seeking just $1 in damages and attorney’s fees. Paltrow has also accused Sanderson of suing to exploit her fame for money, citing emails between Sanderson and his daughter under the subject line, “I’m famous … At what cost?” The trial has been picked apart by social media, as the trial has produced viral moments, including Paltrow shielding her face in court with a $250 notebook and offering “treats” to courtroom staff.