Gwyneth Paltrow Awarded $1 in High-Profile Ski Trial

A Utah jury found actress Gwyneth Paltrow not liable for a 2016 ski accident and awarded her $1 in damages. The trial’s popularity led AP (Lean Left bias) to call it a “pop culture fixation.”

The Details: The plaintiff, Terry Sanderson, must also pay Paltrow's legal fees. Sanderson, who is now 76, suffered four broken ribs and brain trauma from the collision; his family later testified that his personality changed after the collision. He initially sued Paltrow for $3.1 million in 2019 but reduced that amount to $300,000 in 2022 after a judge dismissed his claim that the crash was a “hit-and-run” by Paltrow. Paltrow counter-sued for $1. Both Paltrow and Sanderson argued that the other had skied into them from behind. Paltrow’s suit also claimed that Sanderson apologized after the event and that Eric Christiansen, a ski instructor she had hired, stayed behind to help Sanderson. 

Related News: Paltrow drew criticism for “problematic diet messaging” shortly before the trial began after saying she often had bone broth for lunch. 

How the Media Covered It: Coverage in mainstream news sources often sensationalized the trial and its public response. Left-rated media tended to voice more enthusiasm for Paltrow’s victory; while a Slate (Left bias) headline called her “The People’s Princess,” Vox (Left bias) framed the trial as “absurd.” Meanwhile, Fox News (Right bias) quoted experts who said Paltrow’s “conservative court fashion” helped her win, and The Daily Wire (Right bias) tied Paltrow to “our cultural sickness.”