Gwyneth Paltrow has been found not at fault for the 2016 ski collision that retired optometrist Dr. Terry Sanderson claimed had caused him ongoing health issues. A jury decided she was not at fault, after seven days of trial, awarding her the symbolic $1 she had requested.
Gwyneth, 50, found herself in the midst of a legal battle after being sued by the 76-year-old doctor for allegedly crashing into him on the slopes in 2016 and leaving him injured. The Goop founder, in turn, filed a countersuit, claiming that Terry was the one who ran into her.
In an Instagram story, the actress said she was happy with the outcome: "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,"
Gwyneth's children, Apple, 18, and Moses, 16, whom she shares with ex-husband Chris Martin, stepped forward to support their mother during the trial.
Moses, who witnessed the collision, recalled seeing it happen while skiing alongside his instructor. In his deposition, which was read to the jury by one of Gwyneth's legal team, he said; "I recognized the equipment she was wearing because I know what she wears when she skis and then I realized it was my mom.
"So I was standing around and I realized it was my mother. When I skied over, I heard my mom yelling at the guy. She was saying something along the lines of, 'What the F-word? You just ran into me.'"
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Apple, on the other hand, didn't see the accident but heard a commotion shortly after.
The Iron Man star first made headlines in January 2019 when Terry filed a lawsuit against her, claiming that Gwyneth injured him and fled the scene in Deer Valley, Utah, three years prior.
Court documents stated: "Gwyneth Paltrow skied out of control and hit the back of Terry Sanderson, another skier, who was downhill, knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs, and other serious injuries."
Terry initially sought over $3 million in damages, but had asked for $300,000 in the recent trial.
Her legal team claimed that she was struck by Terry, sustaining a full "body blow," and was left shaken and upset. Throughout the trial, which began on Thursday, March 23, at the Park City District Court, Gwyneth has maintained her innocence.
© GettyWhen she took the stand on Friday, March 24, she detailed the traumatic incident, claiming that she initially thought the collision was a sexual assault due to the aggressive nature of the hit.
The Oscar winner said, "I was skiing and two skis came between my skis forcing my legs apart and then there was a body pressing against me and there was a very strange grunting noise so my brain was trying to make sense of what was happening. I thought, 'Is this a practical joke? Is someone doing something perverted? This is really, really strange.'"
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