London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Mar 05, 2026

Gwyneth Paltrow’s US lawsuit helped ‘humanise celebrities’, says jury foreman

Gwyneth Paltrow’s US lawsuit helped ‘humanise celebrities’, says jury foreman

Last week the Oscar-winning actress won the civil lawsuit, brought by retired optometrist Terry Sanderson over a ski collision in 2016.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s high-profile US lawsuit helped “humanise celebrities” to jury members, the foreman in the case has said.

Last week the Oscar-winning actress won the civil lawsuit, brought by retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, over a ski collision in 2016.

Ms Paltrow was cleared of all fault over the incident, which occurred at the Deer Valley resort in Utah, which left Mr Sanderson with several broken ribs and head injuries.

Jurors deliberated for just over two hours before returning a verdict in her favour, and awarding her damages of one dollar.

Speaking to Court TV, the foreman of the jury, Don, said he had appreciated hearing the actress speak about her childhood experiences of skiing with her father.

“(The trial) was cool to see how it works because, you know, you watch Law and Order and you watch these other things and they’re so scripted and so perfect and then obviously that’s not the way this trial went,” he said.

“The whole experience kind of humanised celebrities a little bit more for me because (Ms Paltrow) told the story about going skiing with her dad – that’s what the mountains are about to all those of us who love skiing and snowboarding and doing what we do.”

Don said that he had focussed on the body language of both Ms Paltrow and Mr Sanderson while they were giving evidence.

He told Court TV that Ms Paltrow’s recollection of the incident, in which she said she had briefly wondered if she was being assaulted, showed a “genuine human reaction”.

“I hope that she’s never had any kind of negative things like that, but that will be a reaction that a real person would have,” he said.

"The whole experience kind of humanised celebrities a little bit more for me"

“It just humanised her a little bit more to me because… if she was ever a victim of anything like that, that might be a reaction that people would have.

“So that just seemed like a legitimate thing that you might think for half a second (and)… again just kind of made it more real to me that that was her initial reaction.”

Don also said he had not been convinced by Mr Sanderson’s evidence, noting that he had seemed to “enjoy” being praised and complimented.

He said that “little things” had helped inform his decision, including Mr Sanderson’s lawyers discussion of how much money they could make from the case.

“You can’t say ‘the first thing we talked about was how much potentially money we get’, and then tell us the entire time it’s not about the money,” he said.

“It’s like, of course it’s about the money guys, we’re not here for Habitat for Humanity.”

Don told Court TV that he had ultimately done “what I think is right” when deciding on the verdict.

“You guys arbitrarily apply laws to different people in different ways… (but) I said, ‘I gotta go home and sleep with myself at night’,” he said.

“So I’m going to do what I think is right in my heart… but I want to be fair, and right with everybody. All we want in life is fairness.”

Ms Paltrow said she was “pleased with the outcome” of the trial following its conclusion on Thursday after two-weeks of evidence in Utah.

In a statement posted to her Instagram story she said she felt that “acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity”, and thanked jurors for their “thoughtfulness” in handling the case.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Iran Conflict Strains U.S.–U.K. Alliance as Trump and Starmer Clash Over Military Strategy
UK Interest Rates Could Rise Above Four Percent Again if Energy Shock Continues, Think Tank Warns
Starmer Defends Britain’s Iran Strategy as Badenoch Urges Stronger Military Support
Labour MP Says She Saw No Sign Husband Broke Law After Arrest in China Espionage Investigation
UK Jobless Rate Overtakes Italy’s for First Time in Years as Labour Market Weakens
United Kingdom Suspends Student Visas for Four Countries in Unprecedented Immigration Move
Campaigners Warn UK Student Visa Ban Could Push Migrants Toward Dangerous Channel Crossings
First U.K. Charter Flight for Stranded Nationals Set to Depart Oman Amid Middle East Crisis
France and United Kingdom Deploy Warships to Eastern Mediterranean as Middle East Conflict Escalates
U.K. Arrests Three Men Including Lawmaker’s Partner in Suspected China Espionage Investigation
Trump Says UK–US ‘Special Relationship’ Is Diminished Amid Middle East Dispute
UK Economic Forecasts Face Fresh Strain from Middle East Conflict and Rising Energy Costs
UK Reaffirms Close US Ties After Trump’s Public Criticism
Reeves Stresses Stability and Fiscal Discipline in UK Budget Update as Growth Outlook Shifts
UK Deploys Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus After Drone Strike on RAF Base
Green Party Surges Past Labour in New UK Poll as Traditional Party Support Crumbles
Majority of Britons Oppose U.S. Use of UK Military Bases in Iran Conflict
UK Intensifies Evacuation Efforts from Oman, Working with Airlines to Boost Flight Capacity
Trump Condemns UK and Spain in Unusually Sharp Rift Over Iran Military Action
Trump Repeats UK Claims That Diverge from Verified Facts Amid Diplomatic Strain
UK Arrests Prominent Figures Linked to Epstein Network as Questions Mount Over US Action
Trump Says UK ‘Took Far Too Long’ to Approve Use of Airbases for Iran Strikes
Scope of Britain’s Role in the Expanding Middle East Conflict Comes Under Scrutiny
Trump Says He Is ‘Very Disappointed’ in Starmer Over Iran Comments
U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Struck by Drones Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Starmer Confronts Strategic Test After Drone Strike Near British Base in Cyprus
Rolls-Royce Chief Signals Openness to Germany Joining UK-Led Fighter Jet Programme
UK Stocks Slip as Escalating Iran Conflict Triggers Global Market Selloff
UK Overhauls Asylum System to Make Refugee Status Temporary
Starmer Warns of ‘Reckless’ Iranian Strikes Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
British Base in Cyprus Targeted as Drones Intercepted Amid Expanding Iran Conflict
Starmer Diverges from Trump on Iran Strategy, Rejects ‘Regime Change from the Skies’
U.S. and Israel Intensify Strikes on Iran as Conflict Expands to Lebanon and Gulf States
Violent Pro-Iranian Protesters Storm U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Missile Debris Sparks Fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Near Palm Jumeirah
Iran Strikes U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Amid Wider Gulf Retaliation
When the State Replaces the Parent: How Gender Policy Is Redefining Custody and Coercion
Bill Clinton Denies Knowing Woman in Hot Tub Photo During Closed-Door Epstein Deposition
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton Testifies on Ties to Jeffrey Epstein Before Congressional Oversight Committee
Dyson Reaches Settlement in Landmark UK Forced Labour Case
Barclays and Jefferies Shares Fall After UK Mortgage Lender Collapse Rekindles Credit Market Concerns
Play Exploring Donald Trump’s Rise to Power by ‘Lehman Trilogy’ Author to Premiere in the UK
Man Arrested After Churchill Statue Defaced in Central London
Keir Starmer Faces Political Setback as Labour Finishes Third in High-Profile By-Election
UK Assisted Dying Bill Set to Fall Short in Parliament as Regional Initiatives Gain Ground
UK Defence Ministry Clarifies Position After Reports of Imminent Helicopter Contract
Independent Left-Wing Plumber Secures Shock Victory as Greens Surge in UK By-Election
Reform UK Refers Alleged ‘Family Voting’ Incidents in By-Election to Police
United Kingdom Temporarily Withdraws Embassy Staff from Iran Amid Heightened Regional Tensions
UK Government Reaches Framework Agreement on Release of Mandelson Vetting Files
×