“It was ridiculous” - Gwyneth Paltrow recalls 2023 ski crash trial and why she had to fight the allegations

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is breaking her silence on the infamous ski trial that took place in 2023. During her appearance on the April 24 episode of The World's First Podcast With Erin & Sara Foster, the Iron Man actress criticized the legal proceedings which went viral.

While podcast co-hosts, sisters Erin and Sara Foster complimented Paltrow’s courtroom style, Paltrow commented on the ski trial, saying,

“It was ridiculous.”

Paltrow went on to clarify what exactly was wrong with the entire dispute which was taken to court. She added,

“And I have to say, like the idea that somebody could ski into your back and knock you down and then sue you, I was like, this is everything that's wrong with our legal system.”

Paltrow also affirmed why she chose to fight in court, saying,

“And that's why I felt like I had to fight it, I was like, I'm not going to be shaken down here, like I'm not doing that.”

---

Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial controversy explored

Back in 2019, Terry Sanderson, a Utah-based retired optometrist, brought serious charges against Gwyneth Paltrow, accusing the actress of running off after crashing into him on a slope while skiing, which allegedly left Sanderson unconscious with broken ribs, according to Reuters.

The news agency reported that Sanderson, who filed a lawsuit claiming $3.1 million, alleged the incident had taken place three years prior at Park City in Utah, and claimed in court documents that the accident also led to a permanent brain injury.

Soon, Paltrow filed a countersuit, in which she alleged that it was Sanderson who crashed into her from behind and was trying to seek advantage of Paltrow’s fame and wealth with his accusations, according to Huff Post. As part of her lawsuit, Paltrow sought a symbolic $1 in damages, and her legal fees.

In 2023, the trial opened up and both Sanderson and Paltrow took the stand, sharing differing accounts of the accident, as per NBC News. Eventually, the jury decided in Paltrow’s favor.

---

The viral ski trial spawned two theatrical adaptations

In 2024’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest performance festival, two plays were performed, inspired by the viral legal proceedings involving Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski accident. One of the plays, Gwyneth Goes Skiing, was a burlesque parody of the trial which observed the absurd nature of the entire legal proceedings, with the audience also serving as the jury, according to the New York Times.

The other play, titled, I Wish You Well: The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical, was also a comical staging of the trial, albeit in musical form, as per the New York Times.

Both plays found success. I Wish You Well was put up at London’s West End at the Criterion Theater, as per Town&Country Mag.

Meanwhile, Gwyneth Goes Skiing was showcased off-Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse. One of the performers of the play spoke to Gothamist about the off-beat nature of the show, saying,

“We have two different endings of our show, so the audience are the jury and they get to vote for who they believe is the guilty party. They can change history if they want.”

As per Gothamist, even Paltrow’s legal team attended the showing, and enjoyed the play, and agreeing that Paltrow herself should watch it.

---

Follow SoapCentral for more such stories.