London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 20, 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
British Government Reallocates Twenty-Five Per Cent of International Climate Finance to Global Biodiversity Projects
Initial British Carbon Border Taxes Set to Undercut Parallel European Union Tariffs on Industrial Imports
Whitehall Prepares National Zero-Interest Loan Initiative to Accelerate Domestic Heat Pump and Solar Adoption
European Union Offers British Automakers Access to Hybrid Vehicle Trade Protections Subject to Strict Regulatory Alignment
British Probation Officers Threaten Widespread Industrial Action After Rejecting Five Per Cent Government Pay Offer
Microsoft Abandons Major British Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Citing Severe National Grid Power Constraints
United Kingdom Inflation Accelerates to Three Point Four Per Cent Ahead of Chancellor John Healey's Inaugural Autumn Budget
Surging Cloned Number Plates Severely Complicate Traffic Enforcement and Police Investigations
Mounting Opposition Challenges Planned Rollout of Autonomous Taxis Across London
Influential Think Tank Urges Rejoining European Union to Navigate Geopolitical Crises
Government Review Recommends Slashing Benefits to Fund Youth Employment Initiatives
Senior Minister Shabana Mahmood Seeks New Law Enforcement Pact With European Union
Airbus Executive Warns Britain Risks Losing Crucial Role in European Space Industry
Exorbitant Electricity Costs Push British Steelmakers to Worst Competitive Position in Three Years
British Food and Beverage Exports to European Union Collapse by Over a Third Since Brexit
Up to Twenty English Maternity Units Face Impending Closure Due to Safety and Staffing Crises
Government Declares Severe Drought Across Southern England Following Record Dry Spell
Corporate Profit Warnings Reach Two-Year High Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Costs
International Monetary Fund Warns Chancellor John Healey Against Proposed Bank Tax Raid
Northern Ireland Secures Favorable Agricultural Export Agreement with European Union
Scottish Government Approves Major Offshore Floating Wind Farm Near Aberdeenshire
High Speed Two Rail Project Faces Three Billion Pound Cost Escalation on Initial Phase
National Health Service Warns of Winter Capacity Crisis Across English Hospitals
Tata Steel Confirms Two Thousand Job Cuts at Port Talbot to Fund Green Transition
Global Microchip Developer Announces Three Billion Pound Semiconductor Plant in Cambridge
United Kingdom Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Proposes Mandatory Licensing for Generative Models
United Kingdom Commits Additional Long-Range Weapons and Air Defenses to Ukraine
British Chancellor Overhauls Infrastructure Financing to Bypass Borrowing Constraints
Bank of England Holds Benchmark Interest Rate at Four Point Five Percent
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Constitutional Discussions Over Welsh Independence During Initial Bilateral Call with Prime Minister
Labour Party Instructs Local Council Groups to Sever Power-Sharing Accords with Green Party Over New Controversial Policy Positions
Institute for Fiscal Studies Warns of Thirty-Five Billion Pound Fiscal Gap Ahead of Chancellor John Healey Upcoming Autumn Budget
House of Lords Backs Landmark Legislative Amendment to Decriminalize Abortion Across England and Wales
United Kingdom Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Travels to Pentagon for High-Level Strategic Talks Amid Escalating Tensions Over Ukraine and United States Policy Shifts
Bank of England and International Monetary Fund Officials Issue Urgent Warnings Regarding Potential Artificial Intelligence Financial Market Shocks
Reform UK Faces Severe Political Fallout and Scrutiny After Undercover Media Investigations Reveal Systemic Racism Among Candidates
Former Democratic Unionist Party Leader Jeffrey Donaldson Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison Following Landmark Child Sexual Abuse Trial
House of Lords Votes to Amend Schools Bill Implementing Comprehensive Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen Years of Age
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast for Two Thousand Twenty-Six While Warning of Energy-Driven Inflation Pressures
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Corporate Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
Automotive Industry Leaders Urge Westminster to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Rollout
Home Office Expands Digital Border Security Framework With Mandatory Electronic Travel Authorizations Across United Kingdom
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Final Consensus on Public Sector Pay Reform and Budget Allocations
Welsh First Minister Secures Additional Funding for Rural Agricultural Transition and Sustainable Farming Schemes
Scottish Government Unveils Accelerated Regional Infrastructure Strategy to Boost Clean Energy Manufacturing
National Health Service England Launches Emergency Recruitment Drive to Alleviate Severe Acute Care Winter Backlogs
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Wage Growth
British Government Finalizes Emergency Energy Support Package to Protect Households From Winter Price Surges
Russell Brand Trial Begins at Southwark Crown Court
UK Parliament to Debate Climate Risks and Council Tax Following Public Petitions
×