Gwyneth Paltrow Reflects on “Ridiculous” Ski Trial: “Everything That’s Wrong With Our Legal System”

Gwyneth Paltrow still feels like her 2023 ski trial was “ridiculous,” even two years later.

During a recent episode of The World’s First Podcast, the Oscar-winning actress and entrepreneur reflected on the trial, which stemmed from a Utah ski slope collision in 2016.

“I have to say, the idea that someone could ski into your back and knock you down and then sue you,” Paltrow told hosts Erin and Sara Foster, “I was like, ‘This is everything that’s wrong with our legal system.’”

She added, “It was ridiculous. That’s why I felt like I had to fight it. I was like, ‘I’m not going to be shaken down here.’ I’m not doing that.”

Paltrow was sued by retired optometrist Dr. Terry Sanderson originally for $3.1 million in 2019, but then later reduced the amount to $300,000. Sanderson claimed that she had “hit and run” crashed into him at Deer Valley Resort in 2016 and caused his ongoing health issues. The wellness mogul countersued for $1 plus legal fees. Following an eight-day showdown in Park City, Utah, in 2023, which included several bizarre moments, a jury found Paltrow not liable.

Following the verdict, the Avengers: Endgame star shared in a statement at the time, “I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity. 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.”

During the trial’s closing arguments, Paltrow’s attorney, Stephen Owens, said his client had been “pounded like a punching bag” throughout the courtroom battle. He said, “[Sanderson] hit her, he hurt her, and he’s not entitled to be rewarded for hurting her.”