Celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 11:43 30 Mar 2023 GMT
The man who is suing Gwyneth Paltrow has apologized for mistakenly comparing the actress to King Kong following a collision on the ski slopes.
Terry Sanderson, 76, is suing the Shallow Hal star, 50, for $300,000 in damages after she allegedly crashed into him while on a skiing trip with her family at the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, on February 26, 2016. She claims that he was responsible for the collision and is countersuing for $1 and the cost of her legal fees.
The plaintiff, a retired optometrist, claims (per BBC News) that the incident left him with brain damage and broken ribs.
Sanderson returned to the stand on Wednesday, March 29, for continued cross-examination and was asked to comment on how he had previously described the Oscar winner when sharing his version of events.
An attorney for Paltrow, Stephen Owens, reminded Sanderson that he had compared the actress to King Kong.
When Sanderson first started legal action against Paltrow in January 2019 (seeking $3.1 million in damages), he said during a press conference that he "heard this just hysterical screaming like … King Kong in the jungle or something."
"Did you ... compare my client to 'King Kong coming out of the jungle,' yes or no?" Owens asked the former Army optometrist on Wednesday, per People. Sanderson replied: "That was not my intention. ... I'm not sure. Probably. Sounds familiar. I dispute my intentions, that's all. ... I meant to say King Kong just chased somebody out of the jungle. That's what I meant."
Owens then asked if Sanderson had compared Paltrow to "Godzilla" while speaking to his daughter, but he said he couldn't recall that.
Sanderson's own attorney, Kristin VanOrman, asked him to clarify his "King Kong" remark.
So, turning to face Paltrow in the courtroom, the plaintiff said: "My apologies to Ms. Paltrow, because my intention was, got twisted up in my intentions, was to say it sounded like a lady getting chased by King Kong out of the jungle. It was that kind of 'I'm really scared' [noise]."
He went on to say that it was the "very best hysterical scream you've ever heard."
During his earlier testimony, Sanderson previously said he heard a "blood-curdling scream" before Paltrow allegedly crashed into him. Paltrow claimed on the stand that Sanderson had crashed into her from behind and even said she thought the incident was a "practical joke" or possibly a sexual assault on her.
Paltrow admitted to using profanities at the time of the incident. "Yes I did. I apologize for my bad language," she told the court. "I said, 'You skied directly into my f***ing back,' and he said, 'Oh, sorry, sorry, I'm sorry.' I was pretty upset."
