Gwyneth Paltrow’s decision to pat retired optometrist Terry Sanderson on the back and say “I wish you the best” after defeating his skiing accident lawsuit has been dubbed the most gracious “f*** you” in US legal history branded.
The star will be paid $1 in damages plus legal fees after juries found Sanderson, 76, was 100 percent responsible for the crash at Utah’s upscale ski resort seven years ago.
It took the jury just two hours and 20 minutes to reach its verdict last night, and before she left the Utah courtroom, there was an extraordinary moment in which Paltrow walked up to her legal enemy and said, “I wish you the best.” “. A deflated Sanderson replied: “Thank you dear.”
Fans following the extraordinary resolution of the case on Thursday claimed her decision to show sympathy to Sanderson was the star jumping at the chance to appear magnanimous. Others on social media claimed she put the knife inside.
One said, “I wish you all the best” works on two levels. The gracious gesture towards a defeated opponent. But also the “f**k you” subtext. Another wrote: “Let me decode this for you all. Gwyneth’s “I wish you the best” statement is very calculated, big f**k you, and something she handpicked with the same care she takes when choosing her next eye cream. One joked: “I’m ready for the I Wish You Well Goop vagina candle”.
Gwyneth Paltrow speaks to retired optometrist Terry Sanderson and says ‘I wish you the best’ after losing the case against her. The jury found Sanderson 100 percent to blame for the 2016 mishap that occurred during a run at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.
Social media exploded as she expressed regret to Sanderson – many believed it was a defeat
Another tweeted, “Gwyneth Paltrow whispering ‘I wish you well’ to the guy who sued her and lost is pure troll behavior, iconic.” Another critic said, “That’s cold blooded.”
Others believed the comment portrayed them in a positive light. One fan said wow she’s a saint. That’s very great of her to be so gracious. Another tweeted: “Gwyneth Paltrow had to overcome harsh public opinion about her and go through this process. She won a TON when I said to this man “I wish you the best”.
The case has drawn millions in the US and abroad after Terry Sanderson sued the actress and Goop founder, claiming she crashed into him on the slopes of Deer Valley in 2016 and allegedly caused permanent brain damage.
Sanderson said the “pain of suing a celebrity” was hard to take during a televised trial – Ms Paltrow’s lawyer Stephen Owens said her client was “beaten like a punching bag”.
Ms Paltrow, the 50-year-old founder of luxury wellness brand Goop, is worth $200million (£161million) and won an Oscar for her role in Shakespeare in Love. Her adversary, Mr. Sanderson, 76, is a twice-divorced retired optometrist from Utah whose net worth is unknown.
Sanderson must hand Ms Paltrow a token $1 in damages – but must pay his and Gwyneth’s legal fees, which could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Last night she looked nervous as the verdict was read, sitting on her desk with her hands clasped. When the clerk declared that Mr. Sanderson was to blame, she nodded approvingly. As the judge thanked the jury, she again nodded her head in appreciation.
As Paltrow left court, she touched Sanderson’s shoulder and said, “I wish you the best,” he told reporters outside the courthouse. He replied, “Thank you, honey”
A dejected Terry Sanderson reacts to the verdict
The decision comes after eight days of live-streamed courtroom testimonies that drew global audiences and became a pop culture fixation.
The actress smiled and waved at photographers as she walked out of court but declined to comment.
Paltrow’s attorney read a statement from the actress in court.
Stephen Owens, representing the actress, said: “We are pleased with the outcome and appreciate the attention of the judge and jury.
“Gwyneth has always stood for what is right and this situation is no different. She will continue to stand up for what is right.”
A statement was released by their representatives.
“I felt that agreeing to a false claim compromised my integrity,” Paltrow said.
“I am pleased with the outcome and appreciate the hard work of Judge Holmberg and the jury and thank them for their care in handling this case.”
Meanwhile, a dejected Sanderson said he stands by his version of events despite losing the case.
When asked what he’s up to next, he joked, “Maybe Disneyland!”
Gwyneth Paltrow leaves court at the end of her trial on Thursday
Terry Sanderson, 76, exits the courtroom in Utah on Thursday
The actress walked out of court in Park City after telling her opponent Terry Sanderson, “I wish you the best.”
Gwyneth Paltrow has won her case against retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, who claimed she caused a skiing accident in 2016 that left him with permanent brain damage
The jury found that 76-year-old Sanderson was the one responsible for the crash at the posh Utah ski resort. It took just two hours and 20 minutes for the jury to reach its verdict on Thursday
Paltrow’s legal team, led by Stephen Owens, thanked the jury for their service
The actress smiled and waved at photographers as she walked out of court
Meanwhile, a dejected Sanderson said he stood by his version despite losing the case
Outside of court, Sanderson’s attorney Kristin Van Orman said she wasn’t impressed with Paltrow, adding, “I’ve been a lawyer for 30 years and juries never surprise me.”
Of Sanderson, she added, “He’s suffering, he’s a very nice man.”
The dismissal concludes a two-week court case that focused primarily on reputation rather than the financial damage that the case is about.
Paltrow’s attorneys called the complaint against her “utter bullshit” and called the Goop founder and CEO uniquely prone to unfair, frivolous lawsuits because of her celebrity.
In his closing argument, Ms Paltrow’s attorney Stephen Owens said Ms Paltrow had been “punched like a punching bag” during the trial for the past two weeks.
Mr Owens said: “It’s not a pretty thing for someone to do a press conference and say like King Kong you punched him and walked away, drove away. That didn’t happen’.
“He hit her, he hurt her and he wants $3 million for it. That’s not fair.
“It would have been easy for my client to write a check and be done with it, but what does that say to her kids? (It is) a business expense? No, it’s wrong that he hurt her and he wants money from her and that’s why we’re here.
“It’s not about the money, it’s about ruining a very delicate time in a relationship where they’re trying to get their kids together. That’s what Terry Sanderson cost her.
Paltrow took the witness stand during the trial to insist the collision wasn’t her fault and to describe how she was stunned when she felt “a body squeeze and a very strange grunt.”
While father-of-three Sanderson says the actress bumped into him while he let out what he described as “the best hysterical scream you’ve ever heard,” Paltrow says he crashed into her — costing her half a day of skiing have lost.
Sanderson filed damages in January 2019 — initially $3.1 million. A judge reduced the amount to $300,000 in compensation for the injuries sustained.
Sanderson described on the stand that Paltrow punched him in the back and sent him flying
Paltrow’s account of hitting Terry Sanderson was shown in an animated reconstruction, as the defense claims he was actually the one who hit the actress from behind
Paltrow then filed a countersuit, demanding a token $1 and payment of her legal fees.
Sanderson’s attorneys attempted to portray their client as someone who was lively and active before the accident but changed significantly afterward.
He claims she punched him in the back with such force that he was left with “permanent traumatic brain injury, four fractured ribs, pain, suffering, loss of zest for life, emotional distress and disfigurement.”
Sanderson told the court, “I just remember everything was great and then I heard something I’ve never heard in a ski resort and it was a bloodthirsty scream.
“And then, Boom, it was like someone got out of control and hit a tree and died. That’s what I [remembered] until I got hit.’
“I was hit so hard in the back … right on my shoulder blades, and the fists and the sticks were right there at the bottom of my shoulder blades, a serious, serious punch,” he added. ‘Never been hit so hard.’
Gwyneth Paltrow (far right) reacts during closing arguments in her skiing accident trial on Thursday, as Terry Sanderson’s attorney (centre) told the jury their version of the story was wrong
Paltrow gives Sanderson a stunned look before glancing over at her attorney, who called the statement “ridiculous.” The judge then asked the jury to ignore Sanderson’s words
Paltrow testified in court that Sanderson approached her from behind and their skis intertwined
In his complaint, Sanderson argued that Paltrow “got up, turned and drove away” without calling for help, leaving him “stunned, lying in the snow, badly injured.”
Paltrow and her team said their ski instructor was on site and helped Sanderson.
Paltrow’s team argued that Sanderson’s downfall, while very sad, was unrelated to the accident, citing previous medical problems.
They also stressed that Sanderson’s daughter, Jenny, said her relationship with her father had been strained for many years.
And they repeatedly noted that Sanderson had emailed his daughters saying, “I’m famous.”
Global audiences watched the celebrity trial as if it were episodic television. Viewers examined Paltrow and Sanderson’s motives, while attorneys directed questions at witnesses, who often had less to do with the collision and more to do with their client’s reputation.
The trial took place in Park City, a resort town known for the annual Sundance Film Festival, where Paltrow performed early in her career for the premieres of her films, including 1998’s “Sliding Doors,” at a time when she was primarily known as was an actor, not a lifestyle influencer.
Paltrow is also known for her roles in Shakespeare in Love and the Iron Man films.