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.
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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.
They’re getting through 70kg of rice a day and the wholesaler has run out of noodles. Yes, Sumo returns to London on Wednesday.
It’s just the second time a Grand Tournament has been held outside of Japan – and this is a sport that has records going back more than 1,500 years.
It’s 34 years since the Royal Albert Hall hosted the only previous such event on foreign soil – and the appetite for tickets meant all five days sold out immediately.
Much of the focus is on the two grand champions or yokozuna, the 74th and 75th men to attain the rank.
They’re the Mongolian Hoshoryu Tomokatsu, plus Japan’s Onosato Daiki – who this year became the quickest wrestler to achieve the rank in the modern era.
“I’m happy that Sumo is back after so many years,” Onosato said. “I hope I can show the UK fans how fantastic Sumo is.”
“Being a yokozuna has a lot of responsibility,” Hoshoryu told Sky Sports. “We have to show everyone an example of what a yokozuna is – and that’s very difficult.
“My uncle was a yokozuna – and I’m happy to follow in his footsteps. But I came here to London as a yokozuna which he didn’t, so I’m even happier.”
The two are already great rivals.
Onosato Daiki became the quickest ever to achieve yokozuna rank. Pic: AP
At the recent Aki Basho – the most prestigious tournament on the sumo calendar – the pair finished with identical records after 15 days of bouts.
It all came down to a final play-off between the two yokozuna – the first time that had happened in 16 years. It was Onosato who came out on top on that occasion.
Hoshoryu says he is a big fan of basketball and football. He follows Chelsea, although his favourite players are going back a bit: “Didier Drogba and Petr Cech. He’s the ‘keeper. I like this guy!”
Early starts and a hearty stew: The life of a rikishi
The wrestlers – or rikishi – have a rigorous training regime.
They live in communal blocks called stables and practice starts early. Perhaps surprisingly, everyone skips breakfast. After training and practice – and for the younger rikishi, chores – the wrestlers all eat together.
The staple of their diet is chankonabe, a hearty stew packed with meat and vegetables. The feeding of the 40 rikishi who have come over for the five-day tournament is a challenge in itself.
Donagh Collins, the CEO of co-organisers Askonas Holt, said: “We are going through 70 kilos of rice a day. Somebody told me that the wholesaler for the noodles has run out of noodles. We’re really pushing the system here.”
The ring – or dohyo – is just 4.55m in diameter and quite small when two giant wrestlers leap at each other.
The aim of the fights is to either get your opponent onto the floor – or, more spectacularly, shove or hurl them out of the dohyo, so spectators in the ringside seats may be getting extremely up-close to the wrestlers.
The last time the tournament was in Britain, the massive Konishiki, known as the Dump Truck, took centre stage.
The giant Hawaiian was the heaviest-ever rikishi coming in at 287kg – or 45 stone. That’s a lot of wrestler to dodge if he comes falling out of the ring towards you.
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The Royal Albert Hall may be firstly a concert venue, but it has hosted the likes of John McEnroe, Lennox Lewis and even Muhammad Ali.
And for the next five days, the cream of the world of sumo will be thrilling the crowds – provided a new noodle supplier is found.
What is a yokozuna?
Yokozuna is the highest rank in sumo, with its name meaning “horizontal rope” and refers to the rope worn around a competitor’s waist as they enter the ring.
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