Gwyneth Paltrow has reflected on her high-profile ski crash trail and how she’s still “processing” what happened during and after it.
The actor, 51, spoke candidly about the publicity surrounding the court case, which took place in March of this year, during an interview with The New York Times, published on 30 September. In the verdict, jurors found Terry Sanderson was at fault for the collision with Paltrow on the slopes at the luxury Deer Valley Resort near Park City, Utah, back in February 2016.
Speaking to The New York Times, Paltrow recalled her candid reaction to people praising the outfits she wore while going to court in March. “I was just getting dressed and going to a pretty intense experience every day,” she said. “And the sartorial outcome was so weird to me.”
The Goop founder then opened up about still feeling strange after winning the court case, during which she was awarded a $1 countersuit and the cost of her legal fees. She also added that it often takes her time to “process” the experiences she’s encountered throughout her life.
“That whole thing was pretty weird. I don’t know that I’ve even processed it,” Paltrow said. “It was something I felt like I survived. Sometimes in my life it takes me a long time to look back and process something and understand something.”
Over the two-week proceeding, jurors heard the complex testimony by neurology and brain injury experts for both sides, after Sanderson first sued Paltrow in 2019 over claims that she crashed into him during the 2016 incident, leaving him with a permanent traumatic brain injury. Eyewitnesses, Deer Valley employees, Paltrow’s children Apple and Moses, and Sanderson’s daughters also testified under oath.
On 30 March, jurors returned a verdict in favour of Paltrow, finding that Sanderson, 76, was “100 per cent” at fault for the crash.
Aside from her outfits in the courtroom, Paltrow was also praised for her gracious response to her lawsuit accuser when she was found not responsible for their ski collision. As she exited the courtroom after the verdict was reached in March, she was seen bending down to whisper something in Sanderson’s ear.
According to Sanderson, who spoke with reporters following the verdict, the actress told him: “I wish you well,” to which he’d responded: “Thank you, dear.” At the time, the retired optometrist also told Extra that he thought Paltrow’s parting sentiment was “very kind of her”.
Following the verdict, the Oscar-winning actress issued a statement on Instagram to express that she was “pleased with the outcome” of the court case.
“I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity,” she wrote at the time. “I am pleased with the outcome and I appreciate all of the hard work of Judge (Kent) Holmberg and the jury, and thank them for their thoughtfulness in handling this case.”
