The case refers to a 2016 ski accident in which both parties claim to have caused the accident.
Just months after the sensational trial of actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp was recorded on their phones around the world, the soap opera-like trial of another Hollywood actor is making headlines. In just one week, the case saw shocking contradictions and emotional testimony about a 2016 skiing accident involving Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow.
Here’s what’s happened so far in the case:
The case refers to a 2016 skiing accident in which Mrs Paltrow and 76-year-old Terry Sanderson both claim the other caused the accident. Mr. Sanderson is suing Ms. Paltrow for $300,000, claiming she suffered a permanent brain injury and four broken bones as a result of the crash.
Terry Sanderson says the crash left him with a permanent brain injury and four broken ribs.
Gwyneth Paltrow is suing Mr. Sanderson for a “nominal” $1 and legal fees that could amount to thousands of dollars. The court also questioned whether Ms. Paltrow was “good friends with Taylor Swift” and whether the $1 in damages she was seeking in a 2017 sexual assault lawsuit involving Ms. Swift.
When asked whether or not the damages she was seeking were symbolic, Ms. Paltrow agreed that they were. “It’s symbolic because the damages are really high,” she said, before saying her lawsuit was “an attempt to exploit her fame and fortune.”
On the second day of the trial, a camera aimed directly at Ms. Paltrow and her attorney were found to be in breach of judicial procedure. The judge said: “I see this as a violation and have asked the reporter to tell us that she is now hampering our operations. If it happens again, the reporter will be asked to leave.
In her version of the incident, Ms Paltrow said at first she thought she was being sexually assaulted, saying it felt like they were “cooking” when the two fell to the floor.
Ms. Paltrow’s courtroom style was a focal point of the process, with many dresses featuring pieces from her own brand.
Mr Sanderson and his lawyers have offered an alternative story, saying the Coop founder “went out of control”. Ms Paltrow denied engaging in ‘dangerous behaviour’ on a ski slope, which she said she knew of previously.
After an eyewitness gave a different account of the incident than that provided by Ms. Paltrow, she questioned the accuracy of the testimony and insisted that she had been attacked.
In tearful testimony, Mr. Sanderson’s daughter blamed the incident for causing a “personality shift” in her father and cited an exchange between him and his niece in which he “killed” her when she tried to close a car door.
Aside from the conflicting testimony and heated exchanges, Ms. Paltrow’s courtroom style was a focal point of the trial, with many of her outfits featuring pieces from her own brand. She used a $250 blue leather notebook to hide her face from the cameras.
Ms. Paltrow used a $250 blue leather notebook to hide her face from cameras.
Proceedings will resume on Monday with Mr. Sanderson testifying. Ms Paltrow’s team is expected to bring along medical experts, ski instructors and her two sons, Moses, 16, and Apple, 18.