• Courts Gwyneth Paltrow on trial for leaving man with brain injury and four broken ribs in skiing accident
  • I Donate Gwyneth Paltrow comes to her trial in a very casual and cosy outfit. What he tries to convey with his appearance
  • Opinion Gwyneth Paltrow has rolled it up again

Gwyneth Paltrow insists the ski collision in Utah wasn't her fault: He slammed into her from behind with both of her skis. Paltrow testified that the accident shocked her and she was initially concerned she was being raped. "There was a body pressing against me and a very strange growl," he said. "My brain was trying to make sense of what was happening," added the actress-turned-lifestyle influencer, clarifying on stage that the collision was not rape.

Paltrow and Terry Sanderson, the retired optometrist suing her, are expected to answer questions about the accident as their attorneys scramble to convince the eight-member jury which skier was located downhill and who had the right of way.

Throughout Paltrow's long-awaited testimony, Goop's founder and CEO has calmly and repeatedly said that Sanderson, who sat several feet away in court, crashed into her. To draw attention to her wealth and privileges, Sanderson's attorneys have investigated Paltrow's pricing of ski instructors at Deer Valley Resort and her decision to leave the mountain for a massage on the day of the accident that broke Sanderson's four ribs and left him shocked.

Sanderson and his four-member legal team scattered around the courtroom to recreate the clash for the jury, whose members perked up after days of yawning through jargon-filled medical testimony.

Paltrow's lawyers objected to her participation in such a reenactment. Throughout the week in Utah, his legal team has called for special restrictions, including limiting photographs in both the courtroom and the public parking lot outside, where a rope cordons off Paltrow's driveways and exits.

Next week, Paltrow's team is expected to call medical experts, ski instructors and her two sons, Moses and Apple, to the stand.

After the collision, Sanderson sent his daughters an email with the subject line: "I'm famous... at what price?" One of the daughters responded, "I also can't believe this is all on GoPro." GoPro cameras are commonly used by outdoor athletes and luxury ski resort customers to capture action sports.

Sanderson's daughter, Shae Herath, testified Friday that she didn't know if images of GoPro existed, despite her email. She said her father told her over the phone that he assumed there must be GoPro footage of the collision, of someone in the crowded race with a camera placed on their helmet.

"There was a big scream that chilled the blood. Someone would have watched," Herath said, recalling the conversation with his father about how Paltrow screamed during the crash.

While Sanderson's attorneys have focused on their client's deteriorating health, Paltrow's legal team has intrigued the jury with recurring questions about the mysterious lost GoPro footage. Since then, no video recordings have been located or introduced as evidence.

So far, the trial has put the spotlight on Park City, Utah, the chic ski town known for rolling out a red carpet for celebrities each January during the Sundance Film Festival, and Deer Valley Resort, a ski resort, where Paltrow and Sanderson collided. The resort is among the most exclusive in North America, known for its sunny hillsides, post-ski champagne, and luxury cabins.

The trial has delved into the medical history and personality changes of Sanderson, 76. The lawyers question whether the deterioration in their health and the effects on their personal relationships are due to the collision or are part of the natural aging process.

After a judge dismissed Sanderson's earlier $3.1 million lawsuit, Sanderson claimed damages of "more than $300,000." Paltrow countersued for a symbolic $1 and attorneys' fees. The amount of money at stake for both parties pales in comparison to the typical legal costs of a lawsuit that has spanned several years and involves details of private security and a trial with many expert witnesses.

Paltrow's lawyers spent much of Thursday raising questions about Sanderson's mentions of their client's wealth and celebrity, as well as what they called her "obsession" with the lawsuit.

The first three days of the trial featured testimony from medical experts, Sanderson's doctor, a ski buddy and her daughter, who said they noticed post-concussion symptoms less than a year after the crash.

Paltrow's lawyers on Thursday asked Sanderson's daughter if her father thought it was "cool" to bump into a celebrity like her, the Oscar-winning actress for "Shakespeare in Love" and founder and CEO of lifestyle brand Goop.

Paltrow's lawyers have cast doubt on Sanderson's medical experts and suggested the lawsuit could be an attempt to exploit her fame and celebrity.

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