Teary testimony on Day 5 of Gwyneth Paltrow ski-crash trial

Former doctor gives teary testimony on Day 5 of the Gwyneth Paltrow ski-collision trial

Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom for her trial, Monday, March 27, 2023, in Park City, Utah.

March 27, 2023 8:12 PM PT

Inside the Park City, Utah, courtroom, Gwyneth Paltrow shook her head as Terry Sanderson gave his testimony on the fifth day of a civil trial over allegations that she recklessly crashed into the retired optometrist in a 2016 skiing accident at Deer Valley Resort.

Sanderson, 76, alleged he heard a “blood-curdling scream” just before he was hit with a “serious, serious smack” that sent him “absolutely flying.” The last thing he says he remembers is telling himself to protect his face and his head, and then everything went black.

This is the opposite of what Paltrow alleged happened when she took the stand last week, saying, “Mr. Sanderson categorically hit me on that ski slope, and that is the truth.”

Sanderson then described not being able to move his limbs and hearing what sounded like an angry man above him, insisting that he’d been the one who broke the ski rules and hit someone. Paltrow was skiing with her now-husband, Brad Falchuk, that day, but Sanderson didn’t identify him by name.

Sanderson said he tried to say “I’m sorry,” but although his lips felt like they were moving, no words were actually coming out.

Sanderson said he wasn’t apologizing as an admission of guilt but because he was trying to placate a man he was worried wanted to hurt him. Just as a fellow skier was asking if he knew who he was or where he was, he said his heart sank when the angry “man in green” took off.

Sanderson, asked about his reaction to finding out he’d collided with a celebrity, said, “I’m not into celebrity worship, so I didn’t care at that point who it was.”

His lawyer, Kristin Vanorman, then mentioned that Sanderson had sent an email to his three daughters after the incident with the subject line “I’m famous.” When asked why he said that, he said his brain was “scrambled” and that he was “trying to add levity to a serious situation.”

During cross-examination, Paltrow’s attorney Stephen Owens confronted Sanderson and displayed a transcription of Sanderson’s deposition in which he admitted he thought it was cool that he had a collision with a celebrity.

Sanderson said he suffered four broken ribs, a concussion and right leg “anomalies.” He alleged he could no longer ski, he often “can’t find the words,” and he frequently gets lost.

The retired optometrist also broke down in tears on the stand when asked why he broke up with the woman who was his girlfriend at the time of the accident.

“After eight months, I had to tell her to leave,” he said, crying. “I knew she didn’t buy into this, she didn’t buy into me not being the same person.” He said he didn’t want her to feel as though she was sticking it out with a “crippled vet.”

Tarrisa “Carlene” Davidson took the stand last week and told the jury that after the collision it looked as if “a truck had hit” Sanderson and that he wasn’t the same person after the accident.

When asked why he pursued the lawsuit against Paltrow, Sanderson said, “No one believed how serious my injuries were,” and, “My daddy would say, if you got the truth, you bring the truth, don’t let anyone back you down. ... I’m here to prove that truth.”

Sanderson initially filed the $3.1-million lawsuit, which now seeks about $300,000 in damages, in 2019. Paltrow is counter-suing for $1, à la Taylor Swift.

In addition to Sanderson’s testimony, the court heard from witnesses Craig Ramon, an acquaintance of Sanderson who claims to be the sole eyewitness to the collision. The defense called Eric Christiansen, a 40-year veteran ski instructor who was giving a lesson to Paltrow’s family that day at the resort. And Whitney Smith, an employee of the luxury ski resort who gave Sanderson a first-aid assessment directly after the collision.

Paltrow’s and Sanderson’s testimony has painted contradicting accounts of what went down that day on the slopes. It’ll be up to the jury to decide if Paltrow did in fact act negligently.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.