Actress Gwyneth Paltrow mounts defence against 'meritless' skiing lawsuit in Utah court

LOS ANGELES – Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in court in the western American state of Utah on Tuesday, where she is being sued for damages by a retired optometrist over a skiing accident that happened seven years ago.

In opening statements, Mr Terry Sanderson’s lawyer said the alleged collision on the slopes of Deer Valley had caused him damages worth US$3.3 million (S$4.4 million).

The Shakespeare In Love (1999) actress has, in turn, counter-sued.

Mr Steven Owens, lawyer for the American actress, told the Park City court on Tuesday that Mr Sanderson is “obsessed” with the lawsuit, and that the case was a “meritless claim of false allegation”.

“Really kind of an offensive one. That she somehow left him an unconscious man and bolted? I can tell you, we believe it to be utter BS,” said Mr Owens.

The alleged collision occurred in February 2016 at Deer Valley, a glamorous ski resort above the swanky larger resort of Park City in the Rocky Mountains.

Deer Valley hosted Winter Olympics skiing events in 2002, while Park City is home to the annual Sundance film festival.

Paltrow, wearing a white turtleneck sweater, sat silently beside Mr Owens as proceedings began on Tuesday. She is expected to later take the stand in her own defence.

Her husband, television producer-writer Brad Falchuk, and children Moses and Apple are due to address the court, Mr Owens said.

Mr Sanderson says Paltrow skied into him from behind and then vanished, leaving him unconscious, lying in the snow.

Mr Lawrence Buhler, representing Mr Sanderson, said in his opening statement that Paltrow had been skiing in a “dangerous” and “reckless” manner, and had caused his client “four broken ribs and permanent brain damage”.

Paltrow says Mr Sanderson skied into her back, and is counter-suing for a nominal US$1 plus legal expenses.

Her lawyer, Mr Owens, said “Gwyneth is a conservative skier” who was “not going fast” and added she had initially feared she was “being assaulted” when Mr Sanderson appeared directly behind her.

“It rattled her and physically hurt her,” he said.

Mr Owens also said Mr Sanderson is “blind in one eye” and suffers from “decreasing vision” in the other – suggesting poor eyesight was a reason for the crash.

In addition to her Oscar-winning acting career, Paltrow has forged a second career marketing wellness products on her Goop website.

The online blog and store promotes healthy eating and stress-free living, as well as a range of unorthodox products – from do-it-yourself coffee enema kits to a line of scented goods made with cedarwood, bergamot, rose and ambrette, and named “This Smells Like My Vagina”. AFP