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Gwyneth takes the stand

Actress describes how collision forced her ‘legs apart’ as she takes the stand over 2016 incident

By Rozina Sabur

Gwyneth Paltrow described how a man made ‘strange grunting noises’ as he skied into her, forcing her ‘legs apart’, as she took the stand for the first time in a trial in Park City, Utah, over the 2016 collision.

‘There was a body pressing against me and a very strange grunting noise’

‘I would not have left the scene without leaving my information’

GWYNETH PALTROW described how a man made “strange grunting noises” as he skied into her, forcing her “legs apart”, as she took the stand for the first time in a trial over the 2016 collision.

The Hollywood actress and wellness guru, 50, is being sued by Terry Sanderson, 76, who claims she ploughed into him at a luxury ski resort.

Mr Sanderson, a retired eye doctor, is seeking $300,000 (£250,000) in damages after alleging Paltrow crashed into him and caused severe and long-lasting brain injuries.

The Oscar-winning actress has previously called the lawsuit an attempt to exploit her fame and claimed that Mr Sanderson crashed into her.

Paltrow took the stand in Park City, Utah, to testify on the third day of the trial to describe how a “large” male skier collided with her, making “strange noises” and pressing “against me”.

“I was confused at first and I didn’t know what was happening. It’s a very strange thing to happen on a ski slope,” she told the court, describing how she became “very upset”.

The actress was questioned on her earlier deposition, when she said she initially thought she was being sexually assaulted.

“It was a quick thought that went through my head. Two skis came between my skis, forcing my legs apart. And there was a body pressing against me and a very strange grunting noise. So my brain was trying to make sense of what was happening,” she said of the collision.

She added: “I thought, is this a practical joke? Is someone doing something perverted? My mind was going very quickly and trying to ascertain what was happening.”

Paltrow later clarified that she was not stating that it was a sexual assault: “I’m just saying what went through my mind for a split second when it was happening.”

Paltrow described herself as an “intermediate” skier and familiar with the rules of skiing. She revealed that her children, Apple, then aged 11, and Moses, then aged nine, were having very “expensive” lessons at the Deer Valley Resort during the 2016 ski holiday. She said her ski instructor, Eric Christiansen, had left her contact information with Mr Sanderson following the collision.

She said: “So because I was hit by Mr Sanderson and he was at fault I assume that Eric... who was there at the time, he said ‘I’m going to leave all of your information’, because my kids were waiting for me,” she said.

“I would not have left the scene without leaving my information and my information was left [by Mr Christiansen] ... subsequently I know that he did. I was not there when it was given.”

Paltrow wore a navy skirt and button down blouse and occasionally drank from a glass bottle.

Asked if she engaged in risky behaviour, she said: “I was not engaging in any risky behaviour. I would not engage in risky behaviour with or without my children being there,” she said.

“I have always been open and honest with my kids, and they know me very well.”

Paltrow acknowledged that neither her ski instructor nor her children had seen the incident and did not remember fellow skier Craig Ramon being on the scene.

Paltrow’s heavily anticipated testimony comes halfway into the trial and on the final afternoon that Mr Sanderson’s attorneys could compel her to testify. Throughout the week in Utah, her attorneys have asked for special restrictions, including limiting photography both in the courtroom and in the public parking lot outside – where a rope cordons off Paltrow’s entrance and exit paths.

Her testimony was expected to last longer than an hour and to mirror what she said in a previous deposition about how she “froze” when the crash happened.

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2023-03-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://dailytelegraph.pressreader.com/article/282475713077542

Daily Telegraph