Gwyneth Paltrow’s Ski Collision Trial: All the Most Talked-About Moments You Missed

In case you missed it, Gwyneth Paltrow is the defendant in an eight-day civil trial over a ski crash that happened seven years ago in 2016. Retired optometrist Terry Sanderson is seeking $300,000 from the Goop founder to make up for alleged damages from a ski collision that occurred at a resort in Park City, Utah.

Sanderson, 76, claims that the Oscar-winning actor, 50, slammed into him from behind in a ski collision that left him with a concussion, a brain injury, and four broken ribs, as well an inability to enjoy wine tastings. But Paltrow claims that the collision was Sanderson’s fault, and that he is exploiting her wealth and fame, per NBC News. Paltrow is countersuing Sanderson for one dollar plus attorney fees. 

Here’s what you may have missed so far: 

2016

February 26: At Utah’s Deer Valley resort seven years ago, Paltrow and Sanderson collide on the slopes. It is unclear who hit whom: Paltrow claims Sanderson crashed into her, and Sanderson claims Paltrow crashed into him. Per the Deer Valley safety policies, downhill skiers (those ahead) have the right of way. 

2019

January: Sanderson files a lawsuit against Paltrow. Sanderson is seeking at least $3.1 million, claiming that Paltrow crashed into him causing a severe brain injury and broken ribs. He also claims that Paltrow skied away without saying a word, and then blamed Sanderson for the crash. 

“I’ve skied for over 30 years, I’ve never knocked anybody down and hurt ’em. I’ve never been knocked down or got hurt. I think this is kind of a unique situation and especially when it was unkind to leave me there,” he said at the time, per KSL News.

2022

May: A Utah judge rules that the crash was not a “hit and run” but says there is “still a claim against Paltrow for ‘simple negligence’ for her actions prior to the collision,” according to KSL News.

Sanderson claimed that as a result of alleged injuries from the collision with Paltrow, he has suffered from “feelings of being unable to cope with life,” although a court order, per KSL News, stated that he had made multiple international trips since the collision and that he frequently traveled domestically.

“No one with knowledge of Ms. Paltrow’s post-collision actions claims to have observed Paltrow acting recklessly. Even when interpreted in the light most favorable to [Sanderson], the undisputed facts fail to support his claim that Paltrow’s post-collision actions were likely to result in substantial harm, that they were highly unreasonable or an extreme departure from ordinary care, or that they came with an apparent and high degree of danger,” the order said.

At this time, Sanderson seeks over $300,000 from Paltrow through the lawsuit, claiming that she negligently caused injury. A trial is scheduled for March 2023.

2023

March 21: The trial of the century begins. 

Per NPR, Lawrence Buhler, an attorney for Sanderson, said in his opening arguments: “Distracted skiers cause crashes. Defendant Gwyneth Paltrow knew that looking up the mountain and to the side while skiing down the mountain was dangerous.” Meanwhile, Paltrow’s attorney Stephen Owens said that Sanderson’s claim that she fled the scene after the incident was fabricated.

March 24: Gwyneth Paltrow takes the stand. Paltrow denied fault and explained that when the collision first occurred, she thought it was a sexual assault:

“So that was a quick thought that went through my head when I was trying to reconcile what was happening,” Paltrow said, per TMZ. “Two skis came between my skis forcing my legs apart and then a body pressed against me. My brain was trying to make sense of what is happening,” she continued. “I thought, Is this a practical joke? Is someone doing something perverted? My mind was going very, very quickly, and my mind was trying to ascertain what happened.”

Paltrow’s time on the stand gave us several meme-able moments, including an effortlessly iconic line about how the crash ruined her vacation. In a clip from the trial, Sanderson’s lawyer reads a quote to Paltrow about how the collision with Sanderson “deterred” her from enjoying a “very expensive vacation.”

“Well, I lost half a day of skiing,” Paltrow replied. See the greatest clip ever recorded here:

Quickly, the “#Gwynnocent” hashtag appeared all over social media. Fans of Paltrow and even nonfans are rallying behind her in this civil trial. 

While on the stand, Paltrow also apologized for the foul language she used at the time of the crash. When Paltrow and Sanderson collided, she screamed the f-word. “I’m sorry for my bad language,” she said.

Throughout the eight-day trial, Paltrow’'s perfectly put-together ensembles garner praise from the fashion community, too. (Move over, Anna Delvey.)

Read more

How to Curate a Courtroom Wardrobe, According to Gwyneth Paltrow

People are drinking in Paltrow’s courtroom style like Gwyneth would a steaming cup of bone broth.

By Laura Hawkins

Paltrow’s husband, Brad Fulchuck, and her children Apple, 18, and Moses, 16, will testify on her behalf in the trial. Although none of them witnessed the collision, all three were present on the ski trip in 2016. 

Per a People report, Paltrow’s attorney Stephen Owens said that the “sentimental” trip was intended as a test to see if Paltrow’s and Fulchuck’s families would work as a blended one. Paltrow’s two children are with her ex, Chris Martin, while Fulchuck has two children with his ex-wife Suzanne Bukinik. “And this was really their first trip to sort of a have a mixed, see-if-this-might-work,” Owens said. “So it was a special time and it was a lovely day.”

March 27: The next meme-able moment comes when Paltrow’s attorney brings up an email Sanderson sent his children hours after the crash, in which he wrote, presumably thinking the story would make the tabloids, “I’m famous.” This seems to add credence to Paltrow’s claim that Sanderson wouldn’t be suing her if she weren’t rich and famous. “All I was trying to do was desperately communicate with my kids before they heard from someone else,” Sanderson told the court. “I didn’t pick my words well—and it was not at all how I felt.… I was really trying to add some levity to a serious situation and it backfired.”

Meanwhile, other celebs and us normal pedestrians continue to add our own levity to the situation. “I lost half a day of skiing” has gone viral, with Busy Philipps using it in an Instagram caption.

While Ryan Murphy plots out American Crime Story: Ski Accident (we assume), John Leguizamo has already thrown his hat in the ring to play Goop herself…though he made the joke to illustrate an actual point about Latinx representation in Hollywood. And White Lotus star Lukas Gage wants to play Sanderson’s lawyer.

Attorney Kristin VanOrman—who spent a decent chunk of time trying to figure out if Paltrow and Taylor Swift are friends—has gone viral for her quasi fangirl behavior.

The spoofs have begun…

March 28: Although they had been originally expected to testify in person on Monday, March 27, Paltrow’s children Apple 18, and Moses, 16, have transcriptions of their depositions read aloud for the jury due to scheduling conflicts. Per People, Moses, who was nine years old at the time of the accident, said that he “did not see the actual collision.” Moses was nearby on the slope and said, “I heard my mom yelling at the guy. She was saying something along the lines of, ‘What the F-word. You just ran into me.’” Paltrow apologized for her foul language while on the witness stand last week.

Apple, who was 11 at the time, also said that she did not see the collision. “I did hear some commotion, but I was further down, so I decided to continue to go down to the lodge,” she said. Apple also said that her mom described the collision at lunch that day. “I asked what had happened, and she said, ‘This A-hole ran into me. He ran right into my back.’ And I remember she did this motion saying he ran into her back and they both went down. I remember that’s what she said.” Apple said her mother was shocked. So shocked, in fact, that she did not return to the slopes the rest of the day which is, apparently, shocking. “She decided after that she was not going to ski for the rest of the day, which she never does; she always stays on,” Apple said. “But she decided to get off because she was in shock and she was in a bit of pain. I never see her really shaken up like that. She was very clearly visibly upset, and she had some sort of pain.”

March 30: In what was surely the biggest and most important legal news of the day, Paltrow was found not liable in Sanderson’s lawsuit, and also won her symbolic $1 countersuit. Justice prevails again! 

“I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity,” the Oscar-winning actor said in her statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I am pleased with the outcome and I appreciate all of the hard work of Judge Holmberg and the jury, and thank them for their thoughtfulness in handling this case.”

The trial concluded with yet another meme-able moment. On her way out of the courtroom after eight days of live testimony, Paltrow appeared to pause by Sanderson and whisper in his ear, “I wish you well.” And that's showbiz. 

Meanwhile, on his way out of court, Sanderson told reporters he was “very disappointed” by the verdict. When asked by one reporter if pursuing the case was “worth it,” he replied, “absolutely not.” Referencing earlier statements, Sanderson continued, “I joked about dating sites, right? It’s like, I’m going to be on the internet forever.”

This post may be updated.