“The most important piece of evidence” has allegedly gone missing in Gwyneth Paltrow's court case. Photo / Getty Images
“The most important piece of evidence” has allegedly gone missing in Gwyneth Paltrow's court case. Photo / Getty Images
Gwyneth Paltrow’s attorneys asked the daughter of a man suing the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer over a 2016 ski collision about missing camera footage that they called “the most important piece of evidence” at the trial over a skiing accident.
Steve Owens, Paltrow’s attorney, asked one of the man’s daughters, Polly Grasham, about emails exchanged with her father about the mysterious footage and the possibility that the lawsuit was filed against Paltrow because she was famous.
The GoPro footage has not been found or included as evidence for the trial.
“I’m famous ... At what cost?” Terry Sanderson, the 76-year-old retired optometrist suing Paltrow, wrote in the subject line of an email to his family after the crash.
Sanderson is suing Paltrow for more than $300,000 (NZ$480,000) in damages, claiming that she skied recklessly into him on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort seven years ago, breaking his ribs and leaving him with a concussion. Paltrow has claimed Sanderson caused the crash and countersued for $1 (NZ$1.60) and attorney fees.
The trial took on an increasingly personal note on the third day of proceedings when Sanderson’s daughter and a neuropsychologist testified about his declining health.
Polly Grasham, daughter of Terry Sanderson, reacts to questioning in court. Photo / Getty Images
Sanderson’s attorneys tried to persuade jurors that the collision had changed the course of their client’s life, leaving him brain-impaired and damaging his relationships with loved ones.
Paltrow’s attorneys questioned whether Grasham and neuropsychologist Dr Alina Fong could say with certainty that Sanderson’s downturn wasn’t a result of ageing or documented, pre-crash conditions. They questioned Grasham about her father’s anger problems, divorces and estranged relationship with another of his daughters, who is not testifying at the trial.
Paltrow has previously called the lawsuit an attempt to exploit her fame and celebrity. Steve Owens, her lead counsel, asked Grasham why her father sent messages referring to her fame.
“It matches his personality a little bit, making light of a serious situation,” Grasham said of the email.
Gwyneth Paltrow is in court over the incident. Photo / Getty Images
Owens probed deeply about Sanderson’s “obsession” with the case and whether he thought it was “cool” to collide with a celebrity like Paltrow, the Oscar-winning star of Shakespeare in Love and founder-CEO of the wellness company Goop.
Sanderson is also expected to testify about the lasting effects of the crash as the third day of the trial takes on an increasingly personal turn after a day of expert witnesses. He has not been present in the courtroom while his doctors and experts have detailed his health problems.
Paltrow is expected to be called to testify on Friday or early next week, when the eight-day trial continues.
The proceedings thus far have touched on themes ranging from skier’s etiquette to the power - and burden - of celebrity. The amount of money at stake for both sides pales in comparison to the typical legal costs of a multiyear lawsuit and expert witness-heavy trial. Sanderson’s attorney told the jury that this trial is about “value, not cost”.
The first two days of trial featured attorneys arguing about whether Sanderson or Paltrow was further down the slope during the collision - a disagreement rooted in a “Skiers Responsibility Code” that gives whoever is downhill the right of way. Sanderson’s attorneys and expert medical witnesses described how his injuries were likely caused by someone crashing into him from behind. They attributed noticeable changes in Sanderson’s mental acuity to injuries from that day.
Paltrow’s attorneys have tried to represent Sanderson as a 76-year-old whose decline followed a normal course of ageing rather than the results of a crash. They have not yet called witnesses of their own to testify, but in opening statements previewed for jurors that they plan to call Paltrow’s husband Brad Falchuk and her two children, Moses and Apple, to the stand.
