Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed in court that she believed "something perverted" was potentially happening to her during her now high-profile ski collision.
With the actor's civil case against 76-year-old Utah doctor Terry Sanderson underway, more and more eyes are being drawn to the trial.
Dr. Sanderson is suing the 50-year-old Iron Man star for $300,000 after he claims he was left with four broken ribs and a brain injury after the two collided on a ski slope at the Deer Valley Resort in 2016.
According to the optometrist's filing, "Gwyneth Paltrow skied out of control [...] knocking [Sanderson] down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries. Paltrow got up, turned, and skied away, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow, seriously injured."
Dr. Sanderson and his legal team say that he has been left brain-damaged by the collision, which he says has caused him to experience concussions and changes in his mood and personality.
Paltrow is countersuing Sanderson for a symbolic $1 (and the cost of legal fees), stating that the collision was the optometrist's fault, not hers.
On Friday, Paltrow delivered a testimony, in which she described herself as an "intermediate" skier, and shared her version of what happened on the slopes that day.
"I was skiing and two skis came between my skis, forcing my legs apart," Paltrow recalled. "And then there was a body pressing against me. And there was a very strange grunting noise.
"So my brain was trying to make sense of what was happening."
Watch Paltrow recall the moment below:The Shakespeare in Love star continued: "I thought, 'Is this a practical joke? Is someone, like, doing something perverted? This is really, really strange.' My mind was going very, very quickly, and I was trying to ascertain what was happening."
The Marvel star then described Dr. Sanderson as "groaning and grunting in a very disturbing way", before adding: "Our bodies were almost spooning. And I moved away quickly."
When Dr. Sanderson's lawyer, Kristin VanOrman, attempted to have both Paltrow and her client reenact the moment, the judge swiftly nixed the suggestion.
Paltrow emphasized that only the front of Sanderson’s body touched her - not his arms or hands.
"After an incident like that when you feel hurt and violated, unfortunately, adrenaline can take over and emotion as well," the actor said, explaining that she then cursed at Dr. Sanderson. While on the stand, she apologized for the language she had used.
Paltrow then told VanOrman that "Sanderson categorically hit me on that ski slope and that is the truth".
To which, the lawyer replied: "And I’m sure that that’s what you believe."
"Because it’s the truth," Paltrow swiftly fired back.
The star also expressed empathy for the doctor, saying: "I feel very sorry for him. It seems like he’s had a very difficult life but I did not cause the accident so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him."
However, she also denied that Sanderson was knocked unconscious as a result of their collision, and adds that she did leave her information, per the rules of skiing.
"I would not have left the scene without leaving my information, and my information was left," she said on the stand.
However, VanOrman was clearly not won over by Paltrow's testimony, telling the judge that the star "lied under oath a number of times" - which caused Paltrow to gasp and her lawyer to spring into action.
"Your honor, that is slanderous, and I want it withdrawn this moment," Paltrow’s lawyer, Stephen Owens, said.
VanOrman did then apologize and recanted her statement.
The trial continues...
