Gwyneth Paltrow questioned about Taylor Swift friendship in ski accident trial

Gwyneth Paltrow was questioned about her relationship with Taylor Swift during her trial about an accident on a ski slope.

Paltrow took the stand yesterday (March 24) as part of a civil trial that claims the actor seriously injured a man in a skiing accident in Utah in 2016.

The suit concerns a collision at a ski resort in Park City, with Terry Sanderson claiming that Paltrow collided with him and knocked “him down hard, knocking him out,”

Sanderson claims the incident left him with “permanent traumatic brain injury, 4 broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress and disfigurement,” and is suing Paltrow for $300,000 (£245,163).

Paltrow is counter-suing Sanderson for $1 (80p), the same amount Taylor Swift was awarded in a case against a DJ accused of sexually assaulting her. According to The Guardian, the $1 awarded to Swift was described by her lawyers as “symbolic of the value of which is immeasurable to all women in this situation”.

Speaking yesterday, Paltrow said: “It’s an actual dollar that I’m asking for. It’s symbolic because the damages would actually be more”.

Sanderson’s attorney Kristin VanOrman then asked Paltrow if she got the idea from Swift’s case. “I think I said [when you asked me] that I had not been familiar with [Swift’s trial] but I since am,” Paltrow responded [via The Independent] before being asked if she was “good friends” with Swift.

“I would not say we are good friends, we are friendly; I’ve taken my kids to one of her concerts before but we don’t talk very often,” Paltrow said.

“You’ve never given Ms Swift personal, intimate gifts for Christmas,” VanOrman asked, seemingly referring to a 2021 ad for Paltrow’s Goop lifestyle brand, which saw her put a vibrator in a bag addressed to Swift. However her lawyer questioned the relevance of the question, which Judge Kent Holmberg sustained before Paltrow could answer.

During the trial, the actor claimed that Sanderson actually crashed into her. “I was skiing and two skis came between my skis, forcing my legs apart and then there was a body pressing against me and there was a very strange grunting noise,” Paltrow said.

“My brain was trying to make sense of what was happening. I thought, ‘Is this a practical joke? Is someone doing something perverted? This is really really strange.”

“It felt violating to have somebody press their body against my back,” she added.

The case resumes next week.

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