The Man Who Lost His Ski Crash Lawsuit Against Gwyneth Paltrow Said He Regrets It

Turns out, beyond having to pay $1 and legal expenses after losing in court, suing an ultrafamous celebrity can have other consequences.

Things didn’t go as planned for Terry Sanderson, who sued Gwyneth Paltrow for a 2016 Utah ski crash at Deer Valley Resort.

After a jury on Thursday found that the Oscar-winning actor was not liable for the crash and that, as a result, Sanderson would have to pay her $1 and her legal expenses, he expressed regret outside the courthouse. 

When a reporter asked the 76-year-old retired optometrist if the live-televised trial, which included testimony from his daughters and ex-girlfriend, was worth it, he replied, “Absolutely not.”

"Knowing that now, no," Terry said in a video shared by Extra. "I joked about dating sites, right? It's like, I'm gonna be on the internet forever."

Sanderson filed the lawsuit against Paltrow in 2019, accusing her of crashing into him while not paying attention to her surroundings at the ski resort. He initially sued for $3 million, but that amount was reduced to over $300,000 prior to the trial.

Paltrow’s attorneys, however, argued that Sanderson only sued because of the actor’s wealth and fame. During the trial — which transfixed viewers with courtroom quips and Paltrow’s daily fashion choices — the actor testified that Sanderson actually crashed into her. Paltrow also described how she initially thought she was being sexually assaulted and that she “only heard a male voice."

Before the case was sent to the jury, which deliberated for just a few hours before rendering a verdict, Paltrow also explained that she only countersued for $1 as a symbolic gesture “because the damages would actually be more.” 

When it was all said and done, however, Paltrow had one more gesture to deliver, which became an instant meme.

In an exchange caught on video, Paltrow stopped to lean over to Sanderson on her way out of the courtroom, telling him, “I wish you well.” 

Sanderson said he replied, “Thank you, dear.”

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