Gwyneth Paltrow's oldest child had her deposition read in court today as part of the ongoing legal battle between the GOOP founder and a Utah optometrist.
The 50-year-old actress is currently in the midst of a lawsuit that was brought against her by 76-year-old Dr. Terry Sanderson, who is suing Paltrow 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 Utah in 2016. Sanderson was originally seeking $3 million, but this was dismissed by a judge.
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."
As a result of the incident, Sanderson and his legal team are claiming that he has been left with brain damage, causing him to experience regular concussions and changes to 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 Monday (March 27), Sanderson took the stand for the first time and described the moment of impact at Deer Valley Resort, saying: "It takes my breath away - this is hard, I don't like going through this scene.
"I just remember everything was great and then I heard something I've never heard at a ski resort - a blood-curdling scream and then - boom - and it was like somebody was out of control, hit a tree, and was going to die, and that's what I heard until I was hit," he explained.
Both of Paltrow's children - whom she shares with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin - were set to appear before a court to testify, however just their written depositions were read to the court instead.
Moses, 16, recalled his mother swearing and yelling after the incident, while 18-year-old Apple revealed that Paltrow went to a spa to have a massage in the wake of the collision.
"I noticed [my mother] looked a bit shocked, and I asked what happened and she said 'this a-hole ran into me, he ran right into my back'. She was in a state of shock and she decided after that she was not going to ski for the rest of the day which she never does, she always stays on, but she was in shock and a bit of pain," Apple's deposition read, per Sky News.
"I had never seen her shaken up like that and she was very clearly visibly upset and she had some sort of pain... she was in a little bit of pain and I remember that's why she went to the spa to get a massage. I remember she was very frantic. She was in a state of shock, she was very upset," it continued.
The case is set to continue this week but is scheduled to end on Thursday, March 30, when the eight-person jury will decide which party - if any - is at fault.
