Featured Image Credit: Law&Crime Network
Topics: Celebrity, News, US News, Gwyneth Paltrow
Gregory Robinson
Topics: Celebrity, News, US News, Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow is speaking out after winning a high-profile court case against a man who claimed she crashed into him while skiing.
The case came to an end on Thursday (30 March) with the court awarding the Oscar-winning actress the $1 damages she requested after hearing eight days of evidence
The verdict came after only two hours of deliberation, with the jury ruling in favour of Paltrow and placing ‘100 percent’ of fault on retired optometrist Terry Sanderson for the 2016 accident.
Advert
The 76-year-old sued the Goop wellness brand founder for $3,000,000.
The 50-year-old Sliding Doors star has since taken to Instagram to address the trial and said she is ‘pleased’ with the outcome.
“I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity,” she wrote on her Instagram story.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Stephen Owens, Paltrow's lawyer, said the actress had been 'uncomfortable' during proceedings.
"It takes a lot of courage does it not?" he said following the conclusion of the trial.
"[Mr Sanderson’s] life has been laid open – that’s because of him. He hit her. He hurt her and he wants three million dollars for it.
"That’s not fair. The easy thing for my client would have been to write a cheque and be done with it – but what does that tell her kids?
"It’s wrong, it’s actually wrong that he hurt her and he wants money from her."
He went on: "This is a meritless claim.
"You don’t throw a three-million-dollar bombshell in the courtroom, call her [Paltrow] King Kong, and walk away. You shouldn’t reward that.
"Gwyneth, who could have just paid it out, paid the ransom, said, 'No I’m not doing that. I’m not going to have someone hurt me and then ask me for a lot of money. I’m not going to do it'."
Paltrow denied Sanderson’s claims during the trial and told the court: "Mr. Sanderson categorically hit me on the ski slope, and that is the truth."
Paltrow took to the stand for the first time on Friday (24 March) to be questioned and Sanderson took to the stand for the first time on Monday (27 March).
"It takes my breath away - this is hard, I don't like going through this scene,” he said.
"I just remember everything was great and then I heard something I've never heard at a ski resort - a blood-curdling scream and then - boom - and it was like somebody was out of control, and going to hit a tree and was going to die, and that's what I heard until I was hit.
"Oh my gosh, somebody is out of control and they’re really seriously out of control."
After the jury ruled in her favour, Paltrow left the court with her head held high. Cameras also captured the moment she shared a few final words with her accuser.
She paused by Sanderson, bent towards him and whispered: "I wish you well."
Now, Paltrow is free to celebrate the verdict with another skiing trip, or maybe some more rectal ozone therapy… or both?!