Gwyneth Paltrow was seen smiling as she left Park City Courthouse after another long day of trial in the ongoing case of a 2016 skiing accident – which could indicate that she feels things are going her way.
The actress and lifestyle expert donned a sleek long navy coat over a black outfit with classic Ray Ban aviators and smiled faintly Wednesday as she exited the building before the scheduled final day of the trial.
And the seventh day of the case ended without Paltrow’s lawyers inviting the actress’s husband, Brad Falchuk, to the stand.
On Thursday, the court will resume closing arguments, after which the jury will withdraw to consider their verdict.
The actress and lifestyle expert donned a long blue trench coat, black overalls, classic Ray Ban aviators and a faint smile as she exited the building before the scheduled final day of the trial on Thursday.
Retired ophthalmologist Terry Sanderson is suing Paltrow for $300,000 for allegedly hitting him from behind in 2016. Paltrow has contested the $1 civil action, claiming she is innocent.
The 76-year-old retired doctor claims he suffered four broken ribs and a permanent brain injury that dramatically changed his personality for the worse.
In the courtroom on Wednesday, Ms. Paltrow, 50, was dressed all in black with her blonde hair loose around her face.
Sanderson doubled down on his claim that he had changed dramatically after the accident, telling the court: ‘In retrospect, I was determined to prove that I had no mental problems. I found it was like flipping a switch. It was like I was on the light side and now I’m on the dark side.
‘I was just sliding down the slope, not turning,’ he said, restating his account of the accident, and then the silence was broken by a hysterical shriek. Best hysterical scream I’ve ever heard.
He added, “I consider it a hit and run when you hit something or someone and leave the place. No one was there when you woke up – If the person who did this isn’t there when you wake up, it’s a hit and run.
Asked if he regretted taking the case, he said: ‘It hurts trying to sue a celebrity. I felt like I was seriously injured and then a lot of insults were added to that and layers.
“This is an issue someone needs to be held accountable for and if they’re not going to be held accountable, they will do it again.”
At one point, the 5-foot-5 Sanderson was asked by retired attorney Kristen Van Orman to step down from the witness box to prove that he wasn’t “a very big guy” as Paltrow described the person who hit her.
Sanderson was also questioned on a number of vacation photos he posted to his Facebook account, including trips to Morocco, Switzerland, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Thailand and the Canary Islands – all of which took place after the incident.
Another photo of him at a rock concert later in 2016 showed him visiting a waterfall, taking a Zumba class, enjoying a drinking session with friends, and skiing after crashing in 2017.
He was even seen riding a camel in Morocco and standing in front of a temple in Thailand.
In cross-examination, Sanderson claimed that his travel was encouraged by his therapist who told him to take the trips “as part of the healing process.”
In a shocking moment, Paltrow’s attorney asked Sanderson whether or not he had called the actress “King Kong” or “Godzilla.”
“Did you or didn’t you compare my client to King Kong out of the jungle?”
Sanderson did not dispute that he made the comment, but said, “I dispute my intentions.”
‘I meant to say that King Kong chased someone out of the woods,’ he said.
The defense said Sanderson’s daughter testified that he referred to Paltrow as “Godzilla” – something Sanderson said he did not remember.
Paltrow was seen exiting the Park City, Utah courthouse, where she was surrounded by security
Paltrow sits next to her attorney in court on Wednesday
Deer Valley Resort in Utah has been accused by lawyers for Terry Sanderson of pimping the actress because she was a “big spender” paying $8,980 (£7,300) on ski lessons for her children.
They alleged in court that the resort gave a “nod and nod” to Mr Sanderson’s beating by saying it was his fault for reporting from the scene.
The director of Deer Valley and the ski instructor who was first on the scene denied the allegations.
In a speech to the court this week, biomechanics expert Irving Scheer said Paltrow’s claim that Sanderson hit her was “consistent with the law of physics.”
The idea that Sanderson was the one who got smashed from behind didn’t meet that criterion, Dr. Scheer said.