Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash court case: US star ‘slammed into fellow skier very hard before bolting’
Gwyneth Paltrow “slammed very hard” into a fellow skier, hitting him directly in the back, as he fell face down, lying “spread-eagled” in the snow, a US court has heard.
The Hollywood actress, 50, has been accused of “dangerous” and “reckless” behaviour before “bolting” down the slope without saying a word, as she faces claims she seriously injured Terry Sanderson in a “hit-and-run” crash in 2016.
The movie star, who is also a lifestyle influencer, allegedly skied “out of control” during a family holiday and hit the retired optometrist at Deer Valley Resort in Utah. He is suing her for $300,000 (£245,000).
She rejects the claim, with her lawyer calling Mr Sanderson’s version of events “utter BS”.
Gwyneth Paltrow in court. Pic: AP
Accuser Terry Sanderson. Pic: AP
The lawsuit claimed Paltrow crashed into him, “knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries”.
“Paltrow got up, turned and skied away, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow,” it added.
However, the actress’s legal team has told jurors that Mr Sanderson, 76, was the one who crashed into her – a collision in which she sustained what they called a “full body blow”.
On the opening day, the first witness to appear was Craig Ramon, a fellow skier and “acquaintance” of Mr Sanderson who said he was the only other person present at the time of the collision. He had been about 11m (35ft) away.
Mr Ramon said: “We were skiing down the run and then I heard this yell, this scream, and then I looked over and… then I see this skier [Paltrow] just slam into the back of Terry.
“She slammed him very hard. She hits him directly in the back, his skis go out and he falls face down, so he’s kind of spread-eagled and Gwyneth is on top of him… and bounces off and slides about five or 10ft.”
Craig Ramon was the first witness to give evidence
Paltrow, an Oscar-winning actress known for her roles in Shakespeare In Love and Marvel’s Iron Man movies, has alleged Mr Sanderson is actually the culprit in the collision, and has been overstating his injuries as well as trying to exploit her celebrity and wealth.
The US star sat in court wearing a high-necked cream jumper and brown trousers as the case began in the Utah ski town of Park City.
Mr Ramon said he had asked both Mr Sanderson and Paltrow if they were alright.
“Terry wasn’t moving, his face was in the snow… his helmet was stuck in the snow. [Paltrow] just looked at me and I asked her again. She got up pretty quick… [but] she never said a word,” he said.
Ski instructor ‘yelled’ at Mr Sanderson
Mr Ramon said a ski instructor, later identified as Eric Christiansen, had arrived after and started “yelling” at Mr Sanderson.
He said Paltrow had then “bolted” down the hill.
Mr Ramon added Paltrow had not offered her name or contact information, and did not ask if Mr Sanderson was hurt or required help.
Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Lawrence Buhler, representing Mr Sanderson, told jurors that Paltrow’s behaviour on the mountain in 2016 had been “reckless” and he accused her of a “conscious disregard for other people on the mountain”.
Mr Buhler claimed she “knew that looking up the mountain and to the side while skiing down the mountain was dangerous”.
The defence is seeking damages of up to $3,276,000 (£2,688,000), according to Mr Buhler.
Who was farther downhill?
On ski slopes, Utah law gives the skier who is downhill the right of way, and a central question in the case is who was farther down the beginner’s run when the collision happened.
Both Paltrow and Mr Sanderson claim they were farther downhill when the other rammed into them, causing their skis to intertwine and the pair to tumble.
The defence’s case
Paltrow’s legal team maintain that Mr Sanderson was the one who crashed into her.
Her lawyer Steve Owens called Mr Sanderson’s version of what happened in the incident “utter BS”.
He also said that members of Paltrow’s group checked on Mr Sanderson, who assured them he was fine – an interaction Mr Sanderson does not deny but said in court filings that he cannot remember.
Mr Owens added Paltrow had told her daughter that “some A-hole” had run into her and had been “mad” later, choosing to finish skiing for the day.
Mr Sanderson has accused Deer Valley and its workers of being involved in a “cover up” by not providing complete information on incident reports and not following resort safety policies.
Mr Sanderson first sued Paltrow in 2019, seeking $3.1m (£2.5m) in damages, before that claim was dropped.
Read more from Sky News:
Bruce Willis celebrates 68th birthday following dementia diagnosis
Harry Potter actor dies after collapsing outside King’s Cross
The actress countersued for a symbolic $1, saying it was Mr Sanderson who had caused the crash.
Paltrow’s claim said she was shaken by the collision, adding that Mr Sanderson apologised to her and said he was fine.
The trial is scheduled to last for eight days.
An emergency vote on Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has been called off following developments in the Middle East, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has said.
Contest organisers had scheduled “an extraordinary meeting of [its] general assembly to be held online” in early November after several countries said they would no longer take part in Eurovision if Israel participated.
The EBU said in a statement that following “recent developments in the Middle East” the executive board had agreed on Monday that there should be an in-person discussion among members “on the issue of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026”.
It said the matter had now been added to the agenda of its winter general assembly, which will take place in December.
Further details about the session would be shared with EBU members in the coming weeks, it added.
It is not clear if a vote will still take place at a later date.
Austria is hosting next year’s show in Vienna. The country’s national broadcaster, ORF, told Reuters news agency it welcomed the EBU’s decision.
Sky News has contacted Israeli broadcaster KAN for comment.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Will Eurovision boycott Israel?
Faced with controversy over the conflict in Gaza, Eurovision – which labels itself a non-political event – had said member countries would vote on whether Israel should or shouldn’t take part.
Slovenia and broadcasters from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Iceland had all issued statements saying if Israel was allowed to enter, they’d consider boycotting the contest.
As one of the “Big Five” backers of Eurovision, Spain’s decision to leave the competition would have a significant financial impact on the event – which is the world’s largest live singing competition.
In September, a letter from EBU president Delphine Ernotte Cunci, said “given that the union has never faced a divisive situation like this before” the board agreed it “merited a broader democratic basis for a decision”.
Read more:
Why Eurovision vote on Israel might not stop boycott
Could Eurovision boycott lead to a competition crisis?
On Monday, Palestinian militant group Hamas freed the last living Israeli hostages from Gaza, and Israel released busloads of Palestinian detainees, under a ceasefire deal aimed at bringing an end to the two-year war in the Middle East.
The war began when Hamas stormed into Israel on October 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.
Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation, with airstrikes and ground assaults devastating much of the enclave and killing more than 67,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants but it says around half of those killed were women and children.
Entertainment
Diane Keaton, star of Annie Hall and The Godfather, has died aged 79 – US media reports
Actress Diane Keaton, who starred in films including The Godfather and Annie Hall, has died, reports have said.
People reported her death at the age of 79, citing a family spokesperson.
The magazine said she died in California with loved ones but no other details were immediately available, and representatives for Keaton did not immediately respond to inquiries from The Associated Press news agency.
Keaton’s death was also reported by the New York Times newspaper which said it has spoken to Dori Roth, who produced a number of Keaton’s most recent films, who confirmed she had died but did not provide any details about the circumstances.
With a long career, across a series of movies that are regarded as some of the best ever made, Keaton was widely admired.
She was awarded an Oscar, a BAFTA and two Golden Globe Awards, and was also nominated for two Emmys, and a Tony, as well as picking up a series of other Academy Award and BAFTA nominations.
Diane Keaton, with her best actress Oscar for ‘Annie Hall’ in 1978. Pic: AP
Her best actress Oscar was for the Woody Allen film Annie Hall, which is said to be loosely based on her life.
She appeared in several other Allen projects, including Manhattan, as well as all three Godfather movies, in which she played Kay, the wife and then ex-wife of Marlon Brando’s son Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, opposite him as he descends into a life of crime and replaces his father in the family’s mafia empire.
‘Brilliant, beautiful’
The unexpected news was met with shock around the world.
Her First Wives Club co-star Bette Midler wrote on Instagram: “The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died. I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me.
“She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she was … oh, la, lala!”
Actor Ben Stiller paid tribute on X, writing: “Diane Keaton. One of the greatest film actors ever. An icon of style, humor and comedy. Brilliant. What a person.”
Keaton was the kind of actor who helped make films iconic and timeless, from her “La-dee-da, la-dee-da” phrasing as Annie Hall, bedecked in the iconic necktie, bowler hat, vest and khakis, to her heartbreaking turn as Kay Adams, the woman unfortunate enough to join the Corleone family.
Keaton also frequently worked with Nancy Meyers, starting with 1987’s Baby Boom.
Their other films together included 1991’s Father of the Bride and its 1995 sequel, as well as 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give.
In 1996 she starred opposite Goldie Hawn and Midler in The First Wives Club, about three women whose husbands had left them for younger women.
More recently she collaborated with Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen on the Book Club films.
Keaton never married. She adopted a daughter, Dexter, in 1996 and a son, Duke, four years later.
Sky News has contacted Keaton’s agent for a comment.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024