In case you’ve missed all the memes, or seen them but don’t know the context, a 76 year old American man has tried to sue Gwyneth Paltrow $3.1 million for crashing into him while skiing. His claim has since been pared back to $300,000 after a judge ruled that he could not seek punitive damages. Paltrow has countersued for $1, plus attorneys’ fees, for the same accusation, saying that he crashed into her at the upscale Deer Valley Resort.
The occurrence took place seven years ago. Paltrow has also stated that Terry Sanderson, her accusor, was making a “strange grunting noise,” and that she initially thought it might be a sexual assault.
Under Utah law, the skier who is downhill has the right of way. Both Paltrow and Sanderson have claimed that they were downhill.
Paltrow’s lawyers have called Sanderson’s account “utter b.s.,” and alleged that he is seeking to take advantage of Paltrow’s wealth and celebrity to secure a payday. Much of the internet is on Paltrow’s side despite her status as a celebrity being fairly unlikable, which may even feed into the case.
Paltrow’s fairly unlikeable status as of recent has stemmed from her health-obsessed bordering on unhealthy reputation. From vagina scented candles to viral videos where she claims she mainly just drinks bone broth and coffee all day and eats vegetables only for dinner and even Vogue Beauty videos where she uses sunscreen as a selective highlighter, many of the public and press alike have deemed her as irresponsible and a poor role model.
It could be argued that Sanderson’s attorney, Kristin VanOrman, has played on this, asking Paltrow if she had ever inquired whether Sanderson was OK. “When you’re the victim of a crash, your psychology is not necessarily thinking about the person who perpetrated it,” Paltrow said.
Ironically, this case has saved elements of Paltrow’s reputation with members of the public admiring the ‘iconic bad bitch move’ of suing Sanderson for only a dollar.
