Gwyneth Paltrow, Johnny Depp, Wagatha Christie: Are high-profile lawsuits really worth it for celebs?
Gwyneth Paltrow consciously uncoupled from ordinary life years ago.
In the era of celebrity relatability, with once mysterious A-listers now sharing everything from breakfast to breakdowns on social media, she is one star completely comfortable with the world knowing she exists on a higher plane of bone broth, vagina candles, and $8,000-a-day skiing lessons.
Facing a lawsuit, many A-listers might simply choose to pay-up, regardless of whodunnit, rather than go through the rigmarole of a potentially reputation-damaging court case. But the Oscar-winner turned wellness guru is not one of them.
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The Gwyneth Paltrow court case in six minutes
The internet has been flooded with Paltrow in the last two weeks, as her high-profile legal fight played out on camera. This all started with a skiing accident involving a retired optometrist in Utah in 2016, and somehow ended in global headlines about the star’s outfits, controversy over her offer to hand out treats in the courtroom – declined! – and questioning about her friendship with Taylor Swift.
She won the case – only asking for $1 in damages, because this was about principle – but for a woman who would barely have noticed making it all go away for $300,000 (£242,000), the amount she was sued for, was it really worth it?
Many were shocked hearing the details of the wealth and privilege that spilled out in court, but perhaps there were just as many impressed by her dry response when asked what she had lost as a result of the accident. “Well, we lost half a day of skiing,” quickly went viral. (Luckily, she was still able to get a massage.)
And turning the courtroom into a catwalk for her own brand Goop, as well as other designers, no doubt has helped with sales.
Depp’s two court cases – and very different outcomes
For some reason, celebrity lawsuits seem to be like buses at the moment. At the same time as Paltrow was in court in the US, here in the UK a group including Prince Harry, Sir Elton John and Liz Hurley were taking on the publisher of the Daily Mail at the High Court; last year, we had Johnny Depp v Amber Heard: Round 2 and Wagatha Christie.
In 2020, when Depp first went to court in the UK – suing the publisher of The Sun newspaper – the revelations about his and Heard’s relationship were jaw-dropping: “mega pints” of red wine, insults scrawled in blood and paint on walls, gross text messages, trashed apartments, human faeces apparently left in a bed… let alone the actual claims of abuse.
Even before he lost the case, his reputation seemed to be ruined. But in 2022, he chose to go through it all again; this time suing Heard herself and, like Paltrow’s case, all on camera. After following the UK case through news articles and bulletins, now the world was able to watch everything as it unfolded.
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Pic: AP
Depp told the US court he lost “nothing less than everything” as a result of allegations of abuse by Heard. When asked why he had chosen the humiliation of his private life being publicly scrutinised over staying quiet, he said he was “obsessed” with the truth and wanted to clear his name for himself and for his children.
After six weeks of evidence, the majority of the public seemed to side with the actor and the jury went the opposite way to the judge in the UK, finding in his favour.
Before the verdict had even been delivered, Depp was on stage in Sheffield, having joined Jeff Beck on his European tour. More gigs – and a trip to meet a rescued badger – followed in the days surrounding his legal win. Now, he is due to appear as Louis XV in Jeanne Du Barry, his first major film role since the court cases, later this year; his supergroup The Hollywood Vampires goes on tour in the summer, and there are reports he may even return to the Pirates franchise.
‘It’s… Rebekah Vardy’s account’
For Depp, arguably it was all worth it. For Rebekah Vardy, who refused to back down in her lawsuit against Coleen Rooney despite a settlement being offered before the eventual court case, it probably wasn’t.
During the court hearing, it was alleged she had leaked stories to tabloids, not just about Rooney, but about teammates of her Leicester City footballer husband Jamie Vardy and others, and that she set up paparazzi shots of the England players’ wives and girlfriends during the World Cup in Russia in 2018.
In a damning verdict, Judge Justice Steyn described Vardy’s evidence as “manifestly inconsistent… evasive or implausible” – while Rooney’s evidence was “honest and reliable”.
Afterwards, Vardy maintained her innocence in an interview with TalkTV, saying: “It feels like the judge just read what was written in the media and took on their narrative bias.”
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Still, she seems to be moving on. Perhaps all publicity is good publicity, as long as you can afford the costly legal fees if things don’t go your way. Her latest Instagram posts show her on the ski slopes herself; hopefully she’s aware of the dangers.
After Paltrow’s win was read out in court, the claimant, Terry Sanderson – who has to pay the star’s legal fees, as well as his own, despite the minimal $1 damages – was questioned by reporters waiting outside. Asked if the trial had been “worth it”, he replied: “Absolutely not.”
For Paltrow, perhaps it was. She has faced years of stick about her wellness brand, but has never cared about the haters. And long after the point of this case has been forgotten, the outfits – and no doubt visits to the Goop website – will live on.
The Duchess of Sussex has spoken about the challenges of balancing being an entrepreneur and a mother.
Meghan, speaking on the final episode of her podcast Confessions of a Female Founder, made the comments while talking with her guest Sara Blakely – mother of four children, and founder of shapewear brand Spanx.
She said to Blakely: “The amount of what you have created, evolved through – the level of what you have done while having this many children, all at that age. It’s something that I think people often forget.”
Reflecting on her own experiences, Meghan said: “People forget that Lili is three, and Archie is five.
“So you look at the past five, six years of my life, it’s yes, with being pregnant or with a newborn or with a toddler, and then another one.”
Meghan has previously revealed that she has an “amazing” nanny, who has been with the family for five years.
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Alongside Prince Harry, the duchess stepped back from her duties as a senior working royal in 2020 – before starting a new life in the US.
Since then, she has launched her own brand, As Ever, a “curated collection” of products inspired by her “long-lasting love of cooking, entertaining and hostessing with ease”, according to the website.
She has, alongside Harry, also worked on Archewell, which includes the couple’s non-profit charitable organisation and their for-profit media production business.
Meghan, recently launched her Netflix show With Love, Meghan
Pic: Jenna Peffley/Netflix
In conjunction with her new business venture, Meghan launched her Netflix show With Love, Meghan – a lifestyle show where the duchess would invite friends and famous guests, and shared cooking, hosting, and gardening tips.
Her podcast followed shortly afterwards.
Meghan also discussed a “guilty mentality” facing female chief executives who have a lot of money.
She said: “I think so many women, especially, were taught to not even talk about money. And there’s lots of guilt mentality surrounding having a lot.”
“It wasn’t until the 70s that women could even have a credit card, a line of credit on a credit card without her husband.”
The discussion, which was wide-ranging in nature, also foregrounded the importance of self-care.
“I remember my acupuncturist in the UK said to me, and it has always stayed with me, he said, if the baby’s crying, treat the mother.
“It all starts with us. Good Lord, we have to take care of ourselves first.”
Gary Lineker bid a tearful farewell to Match Of The Day as he presented the show for the final time.
The ex-England striker, 64, announced his departure earlier this month after sharing a social media post from the Palestine Lobby group titled: “Zionism explained in two minutes.”
The Instagram post was illustrated with a rat, which has been used to represent Jewish people in antisemitic propaganda – including Nazi Germany.
Lineker “apologised unreservedly” for sharing it, saying he was unaware of the reference and it was a mistake. He maintained the importance of “speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza”.
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Watch: Lineker confirms BBC exit
Presenting his final Match Of The Day alongside regular colleagues Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, Lineker did not directly address the circumstances of his departure during the programme.
“It wasn’t meant to end this way,” he quipped in his opening line, continuing: “But with the title race over and the relegation places confirmed, the Champions League was all we had left to talk about.”
Manchester City, Chelsea, and Newcastle secured the remaining places in Europe’s elite competition.
After running through highlights of all 10 games from the final day of the Premier League season, Lineker thanked his fellow pundits, viewers and those who work behind the scenes, before wishing good luck to his replacements.
Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates will take on presenting duties for the 2025-26 campaign.
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Lineker leaves BBC: Timeline of events
‘It has been so special’
Lineker wiped away tears at the end of the show, having been played a montage of messages including from Richards, Shearer, Ian Wright, Alan Hansen, Paul Gascoigne, Pep Guardiola, and Claudio Ranieri.
Italian manager Ranieri led Lineker’s beloved Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2016, which memorably saw the BBC’s highest paid star present an episode of Match Of The Day in a pair of boxers.
He had promised to appear on the show half naked if Leicester won the league.
Lineker started presenting Match Of The Day back in 1999, and has also fronted the BBC’s coverage of World Cups, Euros tournaments, and the Olympics.
“It has been so special,” Lineker said as he signed off, “and I am sorry that your team was always on last.
“Time to say goodbye. Goodbye.”
Entertainment
Urdd Eisteddfod: Why Strictly star Amy Dowden is supporting Welsh festival that is ‘like Britain’s Got Talent’
Thousands of people are expected to attend Port Talbot this weekend as the town gears up to welcome an annual Welsh festival.
The Urdd Eisteddfod is a celebration of Welsh culture when children and young people up to the age of 25 take part in a variety of competitions.
There are 400 of them in total, including singing, reciting poetry and dancing.
The Urdd organisation itself was established more than a century ago in 1922, with the aim of giving children and young people in Wales the opportunity to learn and socialise in the Welsh language.
Its six-day Eisteddfod is held during May half-term and in a different part of Wales each year.
The Urdd Eisteddfod broke its own records last year, with more than 100,000 registrations to compete.
A choir competes at the 2024 Eisteddfod yr Urdd. Pic: Urdd Gobaith Cymru
Margam Park is home to this year’s event – the first time since 2003 that it’s played host.
Among the main prizes up for grabs this year are the chair (awarded to the main poetry competition winner) and the crown (awarded to the main prose competition winner).
This year’s crown and chair have been made using some of the final pieces of steel produced at Port Talbot steelworks before the closure of the blast furnaces last year.
The chair at the 2025 Eisteddfod yr Urdd was created using some of the last pieces of steel produced at the Port Talbot steelworks. Pic: Urdd Gobaith Cymru
Pic: Urdd Gobaith Cymru
There are some new additions to this year’s Eisteddfod, including awards for singing, musical theatre and acting, named in honour of Sir Bryn Terfel, Callum Scott Howells and Matthew Rhys.
Another new award – the Amy Dowden award for dance – will also be awarded for the first time this week.
Speaking to Sky News, Strictly Come Dancing star Dowden said it was a “real honour” to be supporting the next generation of dancers.
“The arts and the industry is tough, and I just hope that [the young people] can see that I’ve managed to push myself through it,” she said.
“I’ve worked hard, I’ve had a few challenges along the way. Hopefully I can help inspire them as well.”
Amy Dowden. File pic: PA
‘It’s like Britain’s Got Talent’
As a former competitor herself in what is one of Europe’s largest touring youth festivals, Dowden says she “couldn’t imagine [her] childhood without it”.
“I’ve loved Eisteddfods since I can remember. Every year at school I took part in everything, from the baking to the reciting poems, to the folk dancing, to the creative dancing,” she said.
“The Urdd Eisteddfod is literally like one big talent competition, it’s like Britain’s Got Talent.”
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The winner of the Amy Dowden award will get one-to-one sessions with her as part of the prize, as well as masterclasses at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
They will have the opportunity to perform on an international stage and also win a cash prize.
“I know from my dance training and everything, each of those is so beneficial to getting yourself to that professional level,” Dowden added.
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