Paltrow’s chief attorney, Steve Owens, added to the statement he read out of court that “Gwyneth has a history of advocating for what she believes in – this situation was no different and she will continue to rise for what is good”.
After the verdict was read, the judge questioned the jury, who were unanimous on the decision. In Utah civil courts, only three-quarters of jurors need to agree on a verdict.
The legal fees that Paltrow asked for in her countersuit were not included in the jury’s verdict, leaving most of the final award for the Park City judge to decide.
Sanderson, addressing reporters after the verdict, questioned whether the lawsuit was worth it and said he believed people naturally trust celebrities like Paltrow.
“You get an assumed credibility when you’re a famous person,” Sanderson said. “Really, who wants to take on a celebrity?”
The case has also become absurd at times. Paltrow’s legal team at one point offered to bring “treats” for the bailiffs.
When Ms. Paltrow was asked how the collision affected her, she replied, “Well, I lost half a day of skiing.”
Mr Sanderson, meanwhile, apologized for describing her in 2019 as screaming like “King Kong in the jungle”.
Paltrow testified that she “didn’t engage in any risky behavior” and that Mr Sanderson was responsible for the collision because he skied “right into my back”.
That’s what she said she briefly thought the hit-and-run was sexually inappropriate behaviour.
Mr Sanderson told the court that Paltrow crashed into him and that since the collision he has become a “self-imposed recluse” who gets confused and feels unsafe.
Sanderson’s lawyer, Bob Sykes, said on Thursday that the accident had profoundly changed him.
“He never came back that night as the same Terry,” he told the jury in Park City, Utah.
“We hope you’ll take Terry home from that mountain with your verdict.”
Mr Owens, for Paltrow, said: “She’s been a punching bag for two weeks.”
The judge, Kent Holmberg, allowed Paltrow to leave the courtroom discreetly at first, saying “everyone stay seated”.
During the trial, her legal team has tried to protect her privacy and has repeatedly complained about cameras being pointed at her in court.