ReportWire

Tag: Terry Sanderson

  • Man who sued Gwyneth Paltrow over ski crash regrets ever filing lawsuit – National | Globalnews.ca

    Man who sued Gwyneth Paltrow over ski crash regrets ever filing lawsuit – National | Globalnews.ca

    [ad_1]

    Terry Sanderson, the retired optometrist who sued actor Gwyneth Paltrow over an alleged 2016 ski accident, regrets ever pursuing legal action.

    After a jury in Utah determined Thursday that Paltrow, 50, was not liable for a ski crash that Sanderson claimed left him with a “permanent traumatic brain injury,” he commiserated his loss with reporters outside the courthouse.

    Read more:

    Carole Baskin of ‘Tiger King’ to close, sell Big Cat Rescue sanctuary

    Sanderson, 76, called the trial a “character assassination,” as much of his medical history and the complicated relationships between him and his family was exposed during the livestreamed trial.

    When asked directly if the lawsuit was “worth it,” Sanderson simply replied, “Absolutely not.”

    Story continues below advertisement

    As a result of the trial, Sanderson said he is “going to be on the internet forever.”

    Sanderson filed the civil lawsuit against Paltrow in 2019 and claimed the crash caused “permanent traumatic brain injury, 4 broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life.” Throughout the trial, he maintained that Paltrow left him collapsed on the slope at Deer Valley Resort in Utah and skied away. He initially sued for US$3 million, though that was later reduced to more than US$300,000.

    Read more:

    Kaley Cuoco welcomes 1st child: ‘New light of our lives’

    Paltrow countersued with the claim that Sanderson was the one who skied into her from behind. Her legal team argued Sanderson sued only to capitalize on Paltrow’s celebrity and status.

    The jury in Park City, Utah determined Sanderson was “100%” at fault for the ski collision. Paltrow was awarded $1 in symbolic damages and reimbursement for her legal fees.

    Sanderson told reporters it is difficult to sue a celebrity because of the “resources available to them.”

    Still, he praised Paltrow for her decorum and said she approached him before leaving the courtroom and said, “I wish you well.” Sanderson said he replied, “Thank you, dear.”

    Trending Now


    Actor Gwyneth Paltrow speaks with retired optometrist Terry Sanderson after the verdict was read in his $300,000 suit against her over a skiing accident on March 30, 2023, in Park City, Utah.

    Getty Images

    Read more:

    Jennifer Aniston says ‘Friends’ offensive to ‘a whole generation of kids’

    Story continues below advertisement

    In a statement to ET Canada, Robert B. Sykes, Esq., the law firm representing Sanderson, said they and their client “are all exhausted and need a rest.”

    The statement requested privacy for Sanderson.

    “As Mr. Sanderson’s attorneys, we are considering all options. This includes a possible Motion for a New Trial, an appeal to the Utah Supreme Court, and other legal options,” the statement reads. “These options will be thoroughly explored between the attorneys and Terry Sanderson at a later date.”

    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

    [ad_2]

    Sarah Do Couto

    Source link

  • Man Who Sued Gwyneth Paltrow Over Ski Crash Says Trial Was ‘Absolutely Not’ Worth It

    Man Who Sued Gwyneth Paltrow Over Ski Crash Says Trial Was ‘Absolutely Not’ Worth It

    [ad_1]

    Terry Sanderson had accused the actor and lifestyle mogul of crashing into him on the slopes of Utah’s upscale Deer Valley Resort in 2016. He said the alleged hit-and-run left him seriously injured, and initially sought $3 million in damages, which was later reduced to $300,000. Paltrow, for her part, said that Sanderson had actually skied into her.

    This week, a Park City jury sided with Paltrow, who had countersued Sanderson for only $1 and payment of her legal fees.

    After the trial, Sanderson told reporters that he was “very disappointed” in the verdict. When reporters asked whether the ordeal of the highly publicized litigation — which included scrutiny of his medical history and media mockery — was “worth it,” he had a definitive answer: “Absolutely not.”

    “I joked about dating sites, right?” Sanderson said, referring to earlier comments he made about how the trial would make online dating difficult. “It’s like, I’m going to be on the internet forever.”

    He also shut down a suggestion from “Extra” host Billy Bush about appearing on a reality show.

    “I don’t need that,” Sanderson responded.

    He did, however, praise Paltrow as being “very kind” at the conclusion of the trial, when she exited the courtroom and whispered to him, “I wish you well.”

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Gwyneth Paltrow not liable in Utah ski collision, jury says – National | Globalnews.ca

    Gwyneth Paltrow not liable in Utah ski collision, jury says – National | Globalnews.ca

    [ad_1]

    Gwyneth Paltrow won her court battle over a 2016 ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort after a jury decided Thursday that the movie star wasn’t at fault for the crash.

    A jury dismissed the complaint of a retired optometrist who sued Paltrow over injuries he sustained when the two crashed on a beginner run at Deer Valley ski resort, siding with Paltrow after eight days of live-streamed courtroom testimony that made the case a pop culture fixation.

    Paltrow, an actor who in recent years has refashioned herself into a celebrity wellness entrepreneur, looked to her attorneys with a pursed lips smile when the judge read the eight-member jury’s verdict in the Park City courtroom. She sat intently through two weeks of testimony in what became the biggest celebrity court case since actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard faced off last year.

    Read more:

    Gwyneth Paltrow takes stand in ski crash trial, denies ‘risky behaviour’ that day

    Story continues below advertisement

    The dismissal concludes two weeks of courtroom proceedings that hinged largely on reputation rather than the monetary damages at stake in the case. Paltrow’s attorneys described the complaint against her as “utter B.S.” and painted the Goop founder-CEO as uniquely vulnerable to unfair, frivolous lawsuits due to her celebrity.

    Paltrow took the witness stand during the trial to insist the collision wasn’t her fault, and to describe how she was stunned when she felt “a body pressing against me and a very strange grunting noise.”


    Click to play video: '‘I did not cause the accident’: Gwyneth Paltrow testifies in ski collision trial'


    ‘I did not cause the accident’: Gwyneth Paltrow testifies in ski collision trial


    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.

    Worldwide audiences followed the celebrity trial as if it were episodic television. Viewers scrutinized both Paltrow and Sanderson’s motives while attorneys directed questions to witnesses that often had less to do with the collision and more to do with their client’s reputations.

    Story continues below advertisement

    The trial took place in Park City, a resort town known for hosting the annual Sundance Film Festival, where early in her career Paltrow would appear for the premieres of her movies including 1998’s “Sliding Doors,” at a time when she was known primarily as an actor, not a lifestyle influencer. Paltrow is also known for her roles in “Shakespeare in Love,” which won her an Academy Award, and the “Iron Man” movies.

    Trending Now


    Click to play video: 'Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial: Terry Sanderson testifies he was hit in the back by skier, went ‘flying’'


    Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial: Terry Sanderson testifies he was hit in the back by skier, went ‘flying’


    The jury’s decision marks a painful court defeat for Terry Sanderson, the man who sued Paltrow for more than $300,000 over injuries he sustained when they crashed on a beginner run. Both parties blamed the other for the collision. Sanderson, 76, broke four ribs and sustained a concussion after the two tumbled down the slope, with Paltrow landing on top of him.

    Read more:

    Man suing Gwyneth Paltrow takes stand at ski crash trial: ‘I’m living another life now’

    Story continues below advertisement

    He filed an amended complaint after an earlier $3.1 million lawsuit was dismissed. Paltrow in response countersued for $1 and attorney fees, a symbolic action that mirrors Taylor Swift’s response to a radio host’s defamation lawsuit. Swift was awarded $1 in 2017.

    Paltrow’s defense team tried to paint Sanderson as an angry, aging and unsympathetic man who had over the years become “obsessed” with his lawsuit against Paltrow. They argued that Paltrow wasn’t at fault in the crash and also said, regardless of blame, that Sanderson was overstating the extent of his injuries.

    AP writer Anna Furman contributed from Los Angeles.

    &copy 2023 The Canadian Press

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial defense leans heavily on experts

    Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial defense leans heavily on experts

    [ad_1]

    PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Gwyneth Paltrow’s attorneys came close to wrapping up their case on Wednesday by relying on more experts to mount their defense on the seventh day of trial over her 2016 ski collision with a 76-year-old retired optometrist.

    Paltrow’s defense team called to the stand a radiologist, a neurologist, a neuropsychologist and a forensic psychologist, leaning on medical analysis rather than the testimony of the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer’s friends or husband in order to make their case. In the final hour of their last full day to call witnesses though, they called Terry Sanderson, the man suing Paltrow, back to the witness stand.

    The eight-person jury is expected to get the case Thursday to deliberate after closing arguments.

    More than just a display of their financial investment in the case, Paltrow’s team allotting most of their time to expert testimony is a gamble. Throughout the trial, bombshell testimony from Paltrow and Sanderson has engaged the jury, while hours of jargon-dense medical testimony has tested their endurance.

    Experts called by Paltrow’s side testified that brain scans suggest Sanderson’s cognitive abilities began to decline years before the crash with Paltrow. They challenged claims made last week by his doctors, who attributed his disorientation and memory loss to post-concussion syndrome.

    “Aging can result in this,” radiologist Carl Black said, pointing to Sanderson’s brain scan, which he said showed microvascular ischemic disease of white matter, “because we’re all deteriorating to some degree or other everyday we live.”

    Members of the jury sat transfixed — with some on the edge of their seats — on Friday when Paltrow said on the stand that she initially thought she was being “violated” when the collision happened. Three days later Sanderson gave an entirely different account, saying she ran into him and sent him “absolutely flying.”

    Time constraints have challenged both sides throughout the eight-day trial and forced difficult decisions about who to call to testify from their lengthy roster of witnesses. The judge presiding over the trial in Park City has made it clear that he wants both sides to give their closing arguments by Thursday afternoon — in order to give the jury enough time to deliberate and come to a consensus.

    The trial is taking place in the city that annually hosts the Sundance Film Festival, where early in her career Paltrow would appear for the premieres of her movies, including 1998’s “Sliding Doors,” at a time when she was known primarily as an actor, not a celebrity wellness entrepreneur.

    Sanderson is asking for more than $300,000, saying that Paltrow’s recklessness on the slope caused the crash, leaving him with four broken ribs and years of post-concussion symptoms including confusion, memory loss and irritability. Paltrow has countersued for a symbolic $1 and attorney fees, alleging that Sanderson veered into her from behind.

    The amount of money at stake for both sides pales in comparison to the typical legal costs of a multiyear lawsuit, private security detail and expert witness-heavy trial.

    The second week of trial has made clear that attorneys have spared little expense on making their case.

    Sanderson’s attorney told the jury last week that, for him, the trial was about “value, not cost.”

    To accompany their expert witnesses — many who have testified to being paid more than $10,000 — Paltrow’s defense team has played multiple high-resolution animations depicting their side’s version of the events that took place in February 2016 on a beginner run at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort.

    Late on Wednesday afternoon, Paltrow’s attorneys called Sanderson back to the stand to cast doubt on his claims of life-altering injuries. Instead of revisiting his medical history or expert testimonies, they asked questions about Sanderson’s luxury and adventure travel after the crash.

    They introduced photos into evidence of Sanderson riding a camel in Morocco, trekking up to Machu Picchu in Peru, and taking a continent-wide loop around Europe with stops in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France and Belgium.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Man suing Gwyneth Paltrow takes stand at ski crash trial: ‘I’m living another life now’ – National | Globalnews.ca

    Man suing Gwyneth Paltrow takes stand at ski crash trial: ‘I’m living another life now’ – National | Globalnews.ca

    [ad_1]

    The retired optometrist suing actor Gwyneth Paltrow for allegedly crashing into him on a ski hill in 2016 took the stand Monday as the buzzed-about trial heads into its second week.

    Paltrow, 50, has been accused of causing serious injury to Terry Sanderson after she allegedly collided with him while skiing at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.

    Sanderson, 76, alleged Paltrow skied into him, “knocking him down hard, knocking him out.” He claimed the collision caused “permanent traumatic brain injury, 4 broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life.”

    He maintains that Paltrow left him collapsed on the slope and skied away. He is suing Paltrow for more than US$300,000.

    Read more:

    Prince Harry makes surprise U.K. court appearance for tabloid lawsuit

    Story continues below advertisement

    Paltrow denies any responsibility for the crash and is countersuing for $1 and lawyers’ fees. She claims Sanderson is the one who hit her and is now suing to “exploit her celebrity and wealth.”

    Before calling Sanderson on Monday, his lawyer first recalled Craig Ramon, the sole eyewitness to the ski crash, to testify again. Ramon was shown several messages he sent shortly after the ski collision, which claimed he saw Sanderson injured by Paltrow.

    Sanderson next took the stand. He said prior to the accident he was an “advanced-intermediate” skier who usually hit the slopes two or three times a week.

    He said recounting the accident is “hard” for him. Sanderson testified he heard a “bloodcurdling scream” before he was hit in the back by another person on skis, presumably Paltrow. He said the person’s ski poles hit beneath his shoulder blades and sent him “flying.”


    Click to play video: 'Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial: Terry Sanderson testifies he was hit in the back by skier, went ‘flying’'


    Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial: Terry Sanderson testifies he was hit in the back by skier, went ‘flying’


    Sanderson said he fell to the ground and briefly “blacked out.” When he came to, Sanderson testified he could not move but knew there was a man shouting at him. The unknown man, according to Sanderson, was trying to “bully” him into believing he’d hurt someone in the accident.

    Story continues below advertisement

    Read more:

    Jeremy Renner posts video update on treadmill after snowplow injury

    Sanderson testified that he only learned it was Paltrow who had allegedly hit him after he was helped down the slope and received medical attention.

    “I’m living another life now,” Sanderson said, referring to the lasting injuries he claimed to have sustained from the accident. He testified that he cannot ski anymore.

    Sanderson said he gets easily lost and has had “difficult” relationships with his family since the ski collision. He became emotional on the stand, recounting how his daughters have reacted to alleged changes in his personality caused by brain trauma.

    He said the accident has made him a “self-imposed recluse” and caused him to lose his “spark” for life.


    Click to play video: 'Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial: Terry Sanderson blames Paltrow for his ‘other personality’'


    Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial: Terry Sanderson blames Paltrow for his ‘other personality’


    Upon cross-examination, Paltrow’s lawyer, Stephen Owens, insisted there were several inconsistencies between Sanderson’s testimony and an earlier deposition. One such inconsistency Owens pointed out was the amount of time Sanderson claimed to be unconscious after the collision, with varying time frames in the deposition, his testimony and various medical records.

    Story continues below advertisement

    After Sanderson’s testimony, Paltrow’s lawyers are expected to call on her two children, 16-year-old Moses and 18-year-old Apple — who were present on the day of the incident — along with a ski instructor.

    On Friday afternoon, Paltrow told a lawyer from Sanderson’s team that she “was not engaging in any risky behaviour” on the day of the crash, saying she was skiing with her two kids as well as with Brad Falchuk — her boyfriend at the time, now her husband — and his two kids.

    Read more:

    Gwyneth Paltrow takes stand in ski crash trial, denies ‘risky behaviour’ that day

    The group was taking ski lessons on a green run, considered to be the easiest of runs on a ski hill, at the time, when she said she felt a pair of skis come between her skis, spreading her legs apart, and felt a “large body” hit her from behind.

    “There was a body pressing against me and there was a very strange grunting noise,” she testified of the moment of the collision. “My brain was trying to make sense of what was happening. I thought, ‘Am I… is this a practical joke? Is someone, like, doing something perverted?’ This is really, really strange,” she said in her testimony, adding that she “froze” while trying to make sense of what was happening.

    Trending Now

    Story continues below advertisement

    Read more:

    Reese Witherspoon and husband Jim Toth announce plans to divorce 

    The pair skied down the hill for a short period, before “someone’s ski caught an edge,” Paltrow testifed, and they collapsed, with Paltrow landing on top of Sanderson, their skis entwined.

    “He struck me in the back, yes, that’s exactly what happened,” Paltrow said, as the lawyer read back a portion of her description of the events from a deposition.


    Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom for her trial on March 24, 2023, in Park City, Utah.

    Rick Bowmer / Pool / Getty Images

    Paltrow said she waited for Sanderson to stand up – “long enough for him to say that he was OK” – before she skied away, adding that she did not ask about his condition any further and did not know the extent of his injuries at the time.

    “I think you have to keep in mind when you’re the victim of a crash, right, your psychology is not necessarily thinking about the person who perpetrated it,” Paltrow testified.

    Story continues below advertisement


    Click to play video: '‘I did not cause the accident’: Gwyneth Paltrow testifies in ski collision trial'


    ‘I did not cause the accident’: Gwyneth Paltrow testifies in ski collision trial


    During her testimony, Paltrow said she was left with an “overstretched” right knee and back pain after Sanderson collided with her from behind. In a since-viral clip, Paltrow testified she “lost half a day of skiing” as a result of her alleged injuries. Her lawyers entered the US$8,980 daily ski trip receipt into evidence on Friday, noting the amount paid for she and her two children to use the luxury slopes.

    Story continues below advertisement

    Paltrow said she feels empathy for Sanderson, but said she did not give him brain injuries that showed up on an MRI he received in 2016.

    “I feel very sorry for him. It seems like he’s had a very difficult life, but I did not cause the accident so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him,” she testified.

    [ad_2]

    Sarah Do Couto

    Source link

  • Gwyneth Paltrow in court: Actor offers ‘treats’ to security amid ski crash trial – National | Globalnews.ca

    Gwyneth Paltrow in court: Actor offers ‘treats’ to security amid ski crash trial – National | Globalnews.ca

    [ad_1]

    Actor and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow is in the spotlight this week as she appears in court for a civil lawsuit regarding a 2016 skiing incident.

    Paltrow, 50, has been accused of causing serious injury to retired optometrist Terry Sanderson after she allegedly collided with him while skiing at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.

    Sanderson, 76, alleged Paltrow skied into him, “knocking him down hard, knocking him out.” He claimed the collision caused “permanent traumatic brain injury, 4 broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life.” He maintains that Paltrow left him collapsed on the slope and skied away. He is suing Paltrow for more than US$300,000.

    Read more:

    ‘Bachelor in Paradise Canada’: Meet the hopefuls looking for love

    Paltrow denies any responsibility for the crash and is countersuing for $1 and lawyers’ fees. She claims Sanderson is the one who hit her and is now suing to “exploit her celebrity and wealth.”

    Story continues below advertisement

    The trial is being livestreamed by multiple outlets. Both parties have agreed the trial will last eight days.

    Paltrow and Sanderson are expected to testify on Friday.

    Paltrow brings ‘treats for the bailiffs’

    On Thursday, the Goop founder brought “treats” for the law enforcement officers in the courtroom. Before testimony of the day began, Paltrow’s lawyer, Steve Owens, introduced the goodies.

    “Private security for my client wanted to bring in treats for the bailiffs for how helpful they’ve been,” Owens told the judge. “So, I wanted to do that transparently and see if there are any objections.”

    Sanderson’s lawyer, Lawrence Buhler, objected to the abnormal request.

    Read more:

    Gwyneth Paltrow to take the stand in $330K ski crash lawsuit

    Judge Kent Holmberg barred Paltrow and her people from distributing the treats in the courtroom.

    “OK, there’s an objection so thank you, but no thank you,” Holmberg said, noting either party could take the treats later if they decided to do so.

    It is not clear what kind of treats Paltrow was offering.

    Story continues below advertisement

    Media coverage and cameras in the courtroom

    Paltrow and her lawyers have been clearly upset with the amount of media coverage surrounding the civil trial. On Wednesday, the second day in court, Owens argued that a camera with a live video feed should not be pointed at Paltrow and her council table, as per alleged decorum agreements.

    “We have a new camera pointed directly at my client, right there, on the right,” Owens told the judge.

    Read more:

    Florida principal ousted after students shown Michelangelo’s David in class

    Paltrow removed her glasses and remained stoic. Owens said photographers had also swarmed Paltrow at her car outside the courtroom the day prior.

    Holmberg recognized the camera “as a problem” and said the court would investigate the request to divert the view and adjust proceedings accordingly. Holmberg did not make a ruling on photography outside of the courtroom.

    Story continues below advertisement

    Paltrow argues Sanderson’s injuries are exaggerated

    Paltrow and her lawyers have claimed Sanderson is exaggerating his “traumatic” injuries to capitalize on Paltrow’s celebrity and status.

    Psycho-neurologist Dr. Alina Fong, who is Sanderson’s witness, testified on Thursday that Sanderson was diagnosed with persistent post-concussive symptoms (PCS) after the ski incident. All of Sanderson’s medical witnesses have testified his injuries are consistent with someone crashing into him from behind.

    Read more:

    On the ground at the Zellers opening: Is it worth your money?

    Owens previously called Sanderson’s diagnosis and symptoms “utter BS.”

    Paltrow’s council said Sanderson was able to travel to 10 countries in the years following the ski accident. They also complained a separate witness for Sanderson, neuroradiology expert Dr. Wendell Gibby, did not review Sanderson’s 2009 MRI that allegedly showed he had sustained past brain injuries.

    “I’m famous … At what cost?”

    On the same day as the crash between Paltrow and Sanderson, the retired optometrist wrote an email to his daughters with the subject line “I’m famous.”

    In a string of emails back and forth, one of Sanderson’s daughters, Shae Herath, insinuated that the collision must have been caught on a GoPro camera. Much of the trial has revolved around whether that GoPro footage exists at all.

    Story continues below advertisement

    In her reply to Sanderson, Herath testified Friday that she changed the email’s subject line to “I’m famous …At what cost?”

    She clarified during her testimony that Sanderson called her and said there had been another skier on the hill with a GoPro – though she admitted her memory was “fuzzy,” as she had suffered an injury to her ACL around the same time as her father was allegedly hurt. She said she had never seen GoPro footage of the collision and was not sure it existed.

    Sanderson’s changing personality 

    Herath testified that her father’s personality changed for the worse as a result of the alleged brain injury.

    Trending Now

    She claimed the trauma left Sanderson frustrated, easily distracted and unable to multitask as he used to. She recalled an incident where Sanderson allegedly “belittled” her own young daughter, his granddaughter, to the point of tears over commotion surrounding how to close a van door.

    “He damaged his relationship with her because he was so awful to her,” she said.

    Herath claimed the behaviour was “uncharacteristic” of Sanderson prior to his accident.

    Mark Herath, Sanderson’s son-in-law, also testified Friday that Sanderson’s personality changed after the ski incident. He claimed Sanderson was hostile, paranoid and difficult to be around.

    Story continues below advertisement

    Polly Sanderson, Sanderson’s other daughter, testified earlier in the week. She was asked by Owens about an incident that allegedly saw Sanderson punch a man he believed to be having an affair with his ex-wife. Polly said she had no memory of the incident.

    After a brief recess, Owens apologized for “being an ass” to Polly. He said: “It was wrong for me to triangulate you, your dad and your sister and your mom, and I ask for your forgiveness.”

    Read more:

    Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine hospitalized after attack in Florida gym, lawyer says

    Paltrow’s ‘Jeffrey Dahmer’ glasses

    Much of the online reaction to the Sanderson vs. Paltrow trial has surrounded Paltrow’s fashion choices.

    Since the first moments Paltrow appeared in court on Tuesday, social media was flooded with comments about her “Jeffrey Dahmer glasses.”

    Though currently in trend, the thin, gold wire frames, complete with a full brow bar, have a striking resemblance to the pair worn by Dahmer, an infamous American serial killer.

    Story continues below advertisement

    Story continues below advertisement

    —

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

    [ad_2]

    Sarah Do Couto

    Source link