Gwyneth Paltrow Cleared of Blame in Ski Collision with Retired Optometrist

A jury has cleared Gwyneth Paltrow of any responsibility for a 2016 ski collision with a retired optometrist on a beginner run at a post-Utah ski resort during a family vacation. The trial, which was live-streamed and followed avidly by worldwide audiences, has finally come to an end, with Paltrow awarded $1 – a symbolic amount she asked for to demonstrate it was not about money.

Gwyneth Paltrow had opted to take the case to trial rather than settling out of court, as she believed acquiescing to a false claim would compromise her integrity. The dismissal delivered the vindication she sought, and she thanked the judge and jury for their work. Her attorney, Steve Owens, also read a statement outside court saying that Paltrow has a history of advocating for what she believes in and will continue to stand up for what is right.

The collision left the retired optometrist, Terry Sanderson, with four broken ribs and a concussion, which led him to sue Paltrow for more than $300,000. Both parties blamed each other for the accident. However, Paltrow’s defense team represented Sanderson as an angry, aging, and unsympathetic man who had become “obsessed” with his lawsuit against Paltrow.

The trial, which lasted for two weeks, focused largely on reputation rather than monetary damages, with Paltrow’s attorneys painting her as uniquely vulnerable to unfair, frivolous lawsuits due to her celebrity status. Throughout the trial, the word “uphill” became synonymous with “guilty,” as attorneys focused on a largely unknown skiing code of conduct that stipulates that the skier who is downhill or ahead on the slope has the right of way.

Staff Reporter