On Thursday, one of Gwyneth Paltrow’s attorneys apologized to a witness during cross-examination.
Terry Sanderson subpoenaed his daughter Polly Sanderson to testify in his Park City, Utah, the legal complaint against Paltrow stemming from a 2016 ski accident. Polly, 49, said in court that she realized “something was horribly wrong” with Terry’s health and behavior following the incident, in which his legal team asserts he incurred fractured ribs and severe brain damage. Terry, now 76, has since passed away. (Paltrow’s legal team minimized his stated injuries and claimed he is extorting her for riches and celebrity.)
During cross-examination, Stephen Owens, an attorney for Paltrow, interrogated Polly about her father and her childhood with him. Owens stated that he questioned her about her father’s divorce and his relationship with her sister Jenny, who declined to testify for Terry.
Polly stated that her father “could have done better” with her mother, his ex-wife, but she would not classify him as abusive.
Owens also mentioned an alleged instance in which Terry allegedly struck a man he believed was having an affair with his wife. Polly claimed she had never heard this assertion before.
At this time, the court took a lunch break. Owens apologized to Polly before resuming his cross-examination when the trial started following the delay.
“I need to apologize. I was previously a jerk. It was wrong of me to triangulate you, your father, your sister, and your mother, and I beg your pardon,” said Owens, who then asked Polly if she loves her parents and sisters, to which she responded “certainly” and “true.” “prior to continuing with the proceedings.
Earlier on Thursday, Owens asked Judge Kent. R. Holmberg and the opposition legal team whether Paltrow’s legal team might reward the bailiffs with “treats” “My client’s private security wished to bring cookies for the bailiffs in appreciation for their assistance. Therefore I wished to do it openly and assess whether there are objections “Owens added. The judge dismissed the motion and instructed him to write “thank you but no thanks” on the snacks due to an objection.
The incident at the core of this trial occurred at the Deer Valley Resort in Utah on February 26, 2016. All sides acknowledge that the incident occurred and that it was not a case of a hit-and-run, but they disagree as to who caused the collision.
Tuesday marked the beginning of the trial. The defense expert witnesses and family members told the jury that Terry, a former optometrist, experienced an “acute” fall in health after the accident.
Terry initially filed a complaint against 50-year-old Paltrow in January 2019. At the time, he accused her of rear-ending him when they were skiing down an easy slope with a ski instructor. He demanded damages in excess of $3.1 million at the time, according to a representative for Paltrow “This action has no merit whatsoever. Those who read the facts will understand this.”
She then filed a countersuit the following month, disputing the charges and claiming that Terry hit her from behind and is now attempting to “exploit her fame and fortune.”
Now, Terry is demanding $300,000 in damages, while Paltrow is filing a counterclaim for $1 plus legal fees.
