In a lawsuit stemming from a ski accident that occurred in 2016, actress Gwyneth Paltrow testified in her own defense telling the court Friday she was the actual victim in the collision.
Retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, 76, is suing Paltrow after reportedly suffering a brain injury and four broken ribs when she allegedly collided into him at the Deer Valley resort in Utah seven years ago. Sanderson has alleged that Paltrow was skiing “recklessly,” leaving him on the ground injured as she and her entourage made their way down the rest of the mountain.
Paltrow offered an alternative sequence of events while on the stand, claiming instead to have been struck by Sanderson. Paltrow alleged that as she was watching her children ski down the slope her accuser slammed into her from behind. “I was skiing and two skis came between my skis, forcing my legs apart,” Paltrow stated, according to Variety, adding that Sanderson’s body was pressing against hers.
Paltrow testified that after the collision Sanderson was making a “strange grunting noise” leading her to fear she was being sexually assaulted. “My brain was trying to make sense of what was happening,” she stated, according to the outlet. “I thought, ‘Is this a practical joke? Is someone doing something perverted?’”
That fear, she admitted, made her upset enough to yell at Sanderson, “You skied directly into my f—ing back!”
Gwyneth Paltrow took the stand, telling a Utah jury that she was not the one to blame for a ski accident seven years ago. https://t.co/16jl3FSIY5
— Variety (@Variety) March 24, 2023
When Sanderson’s attorney, Kristin VanOrman, asked Paltrow to answer to Sanderson’s other claim – that she and her entourage had left him injured in the snow – Paltrow stated, “When you’re the victim of a crash, your psychology is not necessarily thinking about the person who perpetrated it.”
Paltrow’s attorney, Steve Owens, argued previously that Paltrow’s group did check on Sanderson who reportedly maintained he was “fine, “the Associated Press reported. Owens further pointed to a “very happy, smiling picture” Sanderson posted of himself online, being assisted off the mountain after the collision. (RELATED: Lindsey Vonn Shares Photos Of Bruised Face Following Skiing Crash)
“His memories of the case get better over the years. That’s all I’m gonna say. That’s not how memory works,” Owens said, according to The AP.
Sanderson initially brought a suit against the actress for $3.1 million. Sanderson amended his complaint when that suit was dropped. He is now seeking $300,000 for negligence that led to “physical injuries” and “emotional distress.” Paltrow has accused Sanderson of attempting to exploit her wealth and fame.
“He demanded Ms. Paltrow pay him millions. If she did not pay, she would face negative publicity resulting from his allegations,” her attorneys wrote in a 2019 court filing, the AP reported.
It is expected Sanderson will take the stand during the trial to relate his side of the story, Variety reported.