Justice served for Gwyneth Paltrow
Celebrity court cases, and the drama behind them, are nothing new to people who already keep tabs on celebrities. Whether it is between two celebrities, a celebrity and a 9-5 worker, they tend to get a decent amount of coverage. And the stereotype of people suing the rich for no reason other than money has proven to be true . In 2016, Paltrow was hit by Terry Sanderson on a ski slope at Deer Valley Resort in Utah. Sanderson sued her for $300,000 on the basis that she hit him. She counter-sued, claiming that the ski accident was Sanderson’s fault. The jurors found Sanderson responsible, and awarded Paltrow the $1 (along with lawyer fees) that she sought. I agree wholeheartedly with the decision, and it’s clear that many other people feel the same way.
Sanderson did have injuries from the incident, but they were not as dramatic as he made them out to be. His life was normal, if not abundant afterwards. Paltrow’s lawyers showed photos from his social media where he traveled all over the world, including places like Morocco, Peru, Germany, and Italy. Sanderson even sent an email hours after the crash to his daughters saying that he was famous, because the accident occurred with a celebrity. Plus in his deposition, Sanderson said that it was cool to be in a crash with a celebrity. That point in the trial led me to believe that this case was about Paltrow’s money, and not holding her accountable. Paltrow explained that Sanderson was behind her and made contact with her back, locking both of their skis together until they fell over. Paltrow also stated, “I was very upset, and it was still very strange to me what had happened,” Paltrow said. An expert witness even said that Paltrow’s account of the accident made sense on a physics level.
For many people who listened to both testimonies, Paltrow’s testimony was much more airtight than Sanderson’s. Her account of the accident, combined with her lawyers’ attempts to diminish Sanderson’s character was enough for the case to go in her favor. Even though justice was served, this case was a massive waste of time, and taxpayer money.
