Gwyneth Paltrow recalls old ski collision & lawsuit, labels entire incident as weird

LOS ANGELES: Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is reflecting back on her old ski collision and the following lawsuit, calling the whole thing very weird as she has won the case.

Earlier this year, the ‘Iron Man’ actress went to court after she was sued by retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, who first filed a lawsuit against her in January 2019, following a February 2016 incident where the two collided while skiing a beginner-level slope at Deer Valley Resort in Utah.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Gwyneth, 50, opened up about the court case, which she won and was awarded $1 and legal fees.

"That whole thing was pretty weird. I don’t know that I’ve even processed it. It was something I felt like I survived," she said of the trial according to People magazine.

"Sometimes in my life, it takes me a long time to look back and process something and understand something.”

In Sanderson's 2019 lawsuit, the optometrist had accused Gwyneth of colliding with him from behind while she skied with an instructor. In addition, he also alleged that the ski instructor filed a false report claiming Gwyneth did not cause the accident at the time.

A representative for the actress had dismissed all the charges against Gwyneth and fully denied them.

Speaking to People at the time, the representative said, "This lawsuit is completely without merit. Anyone who reads the facts will realise that."

‘The Avengers: Infinity War’ actress also denied the allegations in a countersuit filed the next month, claiming that Sanderson was the one who hit her from behind and was now trying to "exploit her celebrity and wealth."

Sanderson initially sued Gwyneth for $3.1 million in 2019, but a judge later ruled he could only sue for $300,000 in damages. Meanwhile, the actress countersued for $1 and attorney fees.

After over three hours of deliberations, the jury in Park City, Utah, found that Gwyneth was not at fault and Sanderson instead was 100 per cent at fault.

After the trial concluded, Gwyneth issued a statement to People and said: "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."