Gwyneth Paltrow testified Friday afternoon that it did not occur to her to ask the man she collided with on a Utah ski slope if he was okay.
“I think you have to keep in mind that when you’re the victim of a crash, your psychology isn’t necessarily thinking about the person who did it,” the actor and Goop founder said on the stand.
Paltrow is being sued for running over Terry Sanderson while they were on a ski slope at Deer Valley Resort in 2016. The retired optometrist said in a 2019 lawsuit filing that he was “severely injured” by a “out of controlPaltrow, according to ABC News.
The jury heard Wednesday that the 76-year-old man “abruptly deteriorated” from his injuries, which included a brain injury and broken ribs. He is asking for $300,000.
Paltrow, however, blames the collision on Sanderson, whom she accused of exploiting her wealth and status. She told the court that she feels “very sorry” for the plaintiff.
“It sounds like you’ve had a very difficult life, but I didn’t cause the accident,” Paltrow testified.
The lawyers also raised the issue that Paltrow filed a “token” $1 counterclaim against Sanderson. It was the same move Taylor Swift made in 2017 when a radio DJ claimed the singer tried to get him fired after he allegedly groped her.
Sanderson’s lawyer asked if Paltrow had been influenced by Swift’s countersuit, which she won, and asked if they were friends.
“I wouldn’t say we’re good friends,” Paltrow told the court. “We’re friendly. I took my kids to one of their concerts before, but we don’t talk very often.”
Testimony on Friday concluded at 5 pm local time and will resume on Monday.
This isn’t the first time Paltrow has faced legal trouble. In 2021, his lifestyle company Goop was sued by a man in Texas who claimed the brand’s $75 “This Smells Like My Vagina” blew up, causing a room to fill with smoke. Goop’s lawyers called the $5 million lawsuit a “frivolous” effort aimed at “an overpayment for a high-press product.”
