London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jan 29, 2026

After Johnny Depp-Amber Heard, Gwyneth Paltrow's Big Courtroom Drama

After Johnny Depp-Amber Heard, Gwyneth Paltrow's Big Courtroom Drama

In a week, the case has seen stunning contradictions and emotional testimonies over a 2016 ski accident involving Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow.

Months after actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's sensational trial had the world glued to their phones, another Hollywood actor's soap opera-like trial is making headlines. In a week, the case has seen stunning contradictions and emotional testimonies over a 2016 ski accident involving Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow.

Here's what has happened in the case so far:

The case pertains to a 2016 ski accident where both parties, which are Ms Paltrow and 76-year-old Terry Sanderson, claim that the other caused the crash. Mr Sanderson claims he suffered a lasting brain injury and four fractured ribs due to the crash and is suing Ms Paltrow for $300,000.

Terry Sanderson claims he suffered a lasting brain injury and four fractured ribs due to the crash.


For a "symbolic" $1, and attorney's fees that could run into thousands of dollars, Gwyneth Paltrow is counter-suing Mr Sanderson. Ms Paltrow was questioned in court if she was "good friends with Taylor Swift"' and if the damages that she was seeking was inspired by a 2017 sexual assault case involving Ms Swift where she sought $1 in damages.

When asked whether or not the damages she was seeking was symbolic, Ms Paltrow admitted that it was. "It's symbolic because the damages would actually be more," she said before adding that his lawsuit was an "attempt to exploit her celebrity and wealth."

On day two of the trial, a camera that was placed directly in front of Ms Paltrow and her lawyer was found to be in violation of court decorum. The judge said, "I do see this as a violation, and I've asked that the reporter be told that this is now interrupting our proceedings. If it happens again, the reporter will be asked to leave."

In her version of the incident, Ms Paltrow said that she initially thought she was being sexually assaulted, adding that it felt like they were "spooning" when the two fell to the ground.

Ms Paltrow's courtroom style has been a focal point in the trial, with several outfits featuring pieces from her own brand.


Mr Sanderson and his attorneys have offered an alternative narrative, claiming that the Goop founder "skied out of control". Ms Paltrow denied that she ever engaged in "risky behavior" on a ski run with which she said she was previously familiar.

After an eyewitness with a different account of the crash than Ms Paltrow was brought in, she questioned the witness' accuracy and insisted that she was the one who was hit.

In a tearful testimony, Mr Sanderson's daughter alleged that the crash had caused a "personality change" in her father and cited an exchange between him and his granddaughter where he "belittled" her while she was attempting to close a car door.

Apart from the differing testimonies and heated exchanges, Ms Paltrow's courtroom style has been a focal point in the trial, with several outfits featuring pieces from her own brand. A $250 blue, leather notebook that she used to hide her face from cameras also captured headlines.

Ms Paltrow used a $250 blue, leather notebook to hide her face from cameras.


The proceedings will resume on Monday with Mr Sanderson slated to testify. Ms Paltrow's team is also expected to bring in medical experts, ski instructors and her two children, Moses, 16, and Apple, 18.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
AstraZeneca Announces £11bn China Investment After Scaling Back UK Expansion Plans
Starmer and Xi Forge Warming UK-China Ties in Beijing Amid Strategic Reset
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Sentenced to 20 Months for Bribery
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
China Executes 11 Members of the Ming Clan in Cross-Border Scam Case Linked to Myanmar’s Lawkai
Trump Administration Officials Held Talks With Group Advocating Alberta’s Independence
Starmer Signals UK Push for a More ‘Sophisticated’ Relationship With China in Talks With Xi
Shopping Chatbots Move From Advice to Checkout as Walmart Pushes Faster Than Amazon
Starmer Seeks Economic Gains From China Visit While Navigating US Diplomatic Sensitivities
Starmer Says China Visit Will Deliver Economic Benefits as He Prepares to Meet Xi Jinping
UK Prime Minister Starmer Arrives in China to Bolster Trade and Warn Firms of Strategic Opportunities
The AI Hiring Doom Loop — Algorithmic Recruiting Filters Out Top Talent and Rewards Average or Fake Candidates
Amazon to Cut 16,000 Corporate Jobs After Earlier 14,000 Reduction, Citing Streamlining and AI Investment
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Powell Faces DOJ Criminal Investigation During 2026 Decision
Putin’s Four-Year Ukraine Invasion Cost: Russia’s Mass Casualty Attrition and the Donbas Security-Guarantee Tradeoff
Wall Street Bets on Strong US Growth and Currency Moves as Dollar Slips After Trump Comments
UK Prime Minister Traveled to China Using Temporary Phones and Laptops to Limit Espionage Risks
Google’s $68 Million Voice Assistant Settlement Exposes Incentives That Reward Over-Collection
Kim Kardashian Admits Faking Paparazzi Visit to Britney Spears for Fame in Early 2000s
UPS to Cut 30,000 More Jobs by 2026 Amid Shift to High-Margin Deliveries
France Plans to Replace Teams and Zoom Across Government With Homegrown Visio by 2027
Trump Removes Minneapolis Deportation Operation Commander After Fatal Shooting of Protester
Iran’s Elite Wealth Abroad and Sanctions Leakage: How Offshore Luxury Sustains Regime Resilience
U.S. Central Command Announces Regional Air Exercise as Iran Unveils Drone Carrier Footage
Four Arrested in Andhra Pradesh Over Alleged HIV-Contaminated Injection Attack on Doctor
Hot Drinks, Hidden Particles: How Disposable Cups Quietly Increase Microplastic Exposure
UK Banks Pledge £11 Billion Lending Package to Help Firms Expand Overseas
Suella Braverman Defects to Reform UK, Accusing Conservatives of Betrayal on Core Policies
Melania Trump Documentary Sees Limited Box Office Traction in UK Cinemas
Meta and EssilorLuxottica Ray-Ban Smart Glasses and the Non-Consensual Public Recording Economy
WhatsApp Develops New Meta AI Features to Enhance User Control
Germany Considers Gold Reserves Amidst Rising Tensions with the U.S.
Michael Schumacher Shows Significant Improvement in Health Status
Greenland’s NATO Stress Test: Coercion, Credibility, and the New Arctic Bargaining Game
Diego Garcia and the Chagos Dispute: When Decolonization Collides With Alliance Power
Trump Claims “Total” U.S. Access to Greenland as NATO Weighs Arctic Basing Rights and Deterrence
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
U.S. winter storm triggers 13,000-plus flight cancellations and 160,000 power outages
Poland delays euro adoption as Domański cites $1tn economy and zloty advantage
White House: Trump warns Canada of 100% tariff if Carney finalizes China trade deal
PLA opens CMC probe of Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli over Xi authority and discipline violations
ICE and DHS immigration raids in Minneapolis: the use-of-force accountability crisis in mass deportation enforcement
UK’s Starmer and Trump Agree on Urgent Need to Bolster Arctic Security
Starmer Breaks Diplomatic Restraint With Firm Rebuke of Trump, Seizing Chance to Advocate for Europe
UK Finance Minister Reeves to Join Starmer on China Visit to Bolster Trade and Economic Ties
Prince Harry Says Sacrifices of NATO Forces in Afghanistan Deserve ‘Respect’ After Trump Remarks
Barron Trump Emerges as Key Remote Witness in UK Assault and Rape Trial
Nigel Farage Attended Davos 2026 Using HP Trust Delegate Pass Linked to Sasan Ghandehari
Gold Jumps More Than 8% in a Week as the Dollar Slides Amid Greenland Tariff Dispute
BlackRock Executive Rick Rieder Emerges as Leading Contender to Succeed Jerome Powell as Fed Chair
×