Gwyneth Paltrow and attorney Steve Owens react as the verdict is read in her civil trial over a collision with another skier on March 30, 2023, in Park City, Utah. (Rick Bowmer-Pool/Getty Images)
Despite the risks of her testimony, the celebrity entrepreneur likely saw limited downside for herself and Goop in a winnable battle for her reputation
Why would Gwyneth Paltrow submit herself to the risks of both a trial and the merciless court of public opinion instead of quietly settling a ski collision case, as most celebrities faced with similar situations opt to do? A public trial could tarnish both her image and her $430 million brand, Goop.
It took seven years to come to trial, eight days of testimony, and less than three hours for a jury in Park City, Utah, to determine that Gwyneth Paltrow wasn’t at fault for a skiing collision in 2016. Instead, the jury declared that 76-year-old retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, who brought a $300,000 suit against the Oscar-winning actress and Goop entrepreneur, was 100% at fault and owed Paltrow $1, the amount she countersued him for.
