ENCORE: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Ski Trial | Part 1

Summary

Infamous Podcast – ENCORE: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Ski Trial | Part 1
Campside Media / Sony Music Entertainment
Released: January 1, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode of Infamous dives deep into the bizarre, high-profile ski collision legal saga that pitted wellness mogul and Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow against retired optometrist Terry Sanderson. Hosts Natalie Robehmed and Vanessa Grigoriadis guide listeners through the details of the infamous Deer Valley ski accident, Gwyneth’s enigmatic public persona, and the extraordinary court trial that played out under the scrutinizing gaze of the public and media. Beyond the melodrama, the episode examines how celebrity, privilege, media, and America’s obsession with scandal come together in one surreal courtroom showdown.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Incident on the Slope (From 00:40)

• The episode opens with a cinematic retelling of the fateful day at Deer Valley Resort, a luxury ski destination in Utah.
  • “Her skis slice through the snow, carving neat parallel turns…when all of a sudden, out of nowhere…” (00:40)
• Gwyneth Paltrow, on a family ski trip, collides with Terry Sanderson, a septuagenarian retired optometrist.
  • Sanderson is badly injured, stretchered off the mountain with four broken ribs and a concussion.
  • Gwyneth, relatively unscathed, gets a massage afterwards.
• Immediate aftermath and dispute:
  • Gwyneth insists she was struck from behind.
  • Sanderson claims she slammed into him and left the scene.
  • “She yells at him, something along the lines of what the—you skied directly into my back.” (02:23)

2. Who Is Gwyneth? (04:21–11:50)

• Vanessa offers a crash course on Gwyneth Paltrow’s upbringing as Hollywood royalty and her evolution from actress to wellness entrepreneur.
  • Parents: Actress Blythe Danner & TV producer Bruce Paltrow.
  • Godfather: Steven Spielberg.
  • “To me, her name is shorthand for class, for elitism. She’s like the human embodiment of the 1%.” (05:24)
• Highlights from her acting career (Hook, Emma, Shakespeare in Love, The Royal Tenenbaums), including the infamous Shallow Hal, whose premise and Gwyneth’s role foreshadow her later focus on beauty and wellness.
  • “This distasteful role in Shallow Hal is also a kind of bizarre foreshadowing because Gwyneth is about to pivot from actress to health guru…” (09:15)
• Introduction to Goop, the now-infamous lifestyle brand rooted in luxury, “optimization,” questionable health advice, and constant controversy.
  • Gwyneth Paltrow (clip): “We’re here one time, one life. Like, how can we really, like, milk the shit out of this?” (11:29)

3. Enter the Lawsuit: From Accident to Courtroom (14:23–19:50)

• Reintroduction of Terry Sanderson, the plaintiff:
  • Described as an everyman whose life, including his relationship, was upended by the crash.
  • Sanderson: “I had to tell her (girlfriend) to leave… I’m not sure I’m gonna get back to normal again… it was a sad time for both of us.” (15:15)
• In 2019, Sanderson sues Gwyneth for over $3 million, alleging serious physical and emotional damages.
• Gwyneth countersues, calling the claims an attempt to exploit her fame.
  • “She knows that controversy can be good for business. And she knows this because… Goop became big business for Gwyneth.” (16:33)
• Summary of Goop’s bizarre products, controversies, and lawsuits (e.g., $15,000 dildo, vaginal eggs, dubious wellness advice), and how Gwyneth leans into public spectacle and viral moments.
  • “GOOP is perfectly positioned to capitalize on a climate in which willful ignorance to facts is becoming a political stance…” (19:57)

4. The Courtroom Drama Unfolds (21:47–31:47)

• March 2023, Park City: Paltrow makes her entrance, emphasizing “stealth wealth” with understated, expensive clothing—except for a pair of odd glasses reminiscent of Jeffrey Dahmer.
  • “She cuts a slight figure… This courtroom may as well be a red carpet because what you wear to court sends a message. One that’s going to be analyzed to death.” (22:51)
• Gwyneth is called to testify. The plaintiff’s lawyer exhibits a mix of nervousness, awe, and starstruck behavior.
  • Lawyer: “I have a feeling that everybody in the courtroom knows who you are… so we’re not going to go through all the background. We’re just going to kind of cut to the chase. Is that fair?” Gwyneth: “Sounds fine.” (26:15)
  • Vanessa: “Listening to Gwyneth here makes me think of that Great Gatsby line about Daisy Buchanan. Her voice is full of money. That’s Gwyneth.” (26:16)
• Key testimony moments:
  • Gwyneth confirms details of the trip, the expensive ski lessons, and the family members present—and answers personal questions with poise and flashes of dry humor.
    • Lawyer: “May I ask how tall you are?” Gwyneth: “I’m just under 5'10." Lawyer: “I am so jealous.” (27:34)
  • She is asked about the crash itself:
    • Lawyer: “You skied directly into my effing back at the top of your lungs.” Gwyneth: “Yes, I did.” (28:16)
    • She apologizes for her language, drawing laughter from the room.
    • Gwyneth: “I was yelling at him pretty loud, pretty forceful. I was pretty upset.” (28:37)
  • On leaving the aftermath to her ski instructor:
    • Gwyneth: “In the acting world, that’s a world of representatives. So you have an agent who represents you… So when Eric, as an accredited Deer Valley ski instructor, said to me, I’ll fill out the paperwork, he knew also that my daughter was at the bottom waiting for me to come for lunch…” (29:03)
  • On whether she inquired about Sanderson’s injuries:
    • Gwyneth: “I think you have to keep in mind, when you’re the victim of a crash. Right. Your psychology is not necessarily thinking about the person who perpetrated it.” (30:25)
  • Details on her afternoon post-accident:
    • Gwyneth (reading her text): “That guy sort of hurt me. I’m gonna get a massage at 3.” (31:19)
  • On damages:
    • Lawyer: “He has deterred you from enjoying the rest of what was a very expensive vacation?” Gwyneth: “Well, I lost half a day of skiing, so.” (31:43)
• Vanessa concludes:
  • “Terry Sanderson claimed he had four broken ribs, a concussion, and lasting brain damage. Gwyneth lost half a day of skiing. She was definitely gonna lose this case.” (31:47)

5. Teasers for Part 2 (32:05)

• The next episode promises further drama and testimony, more surreal moments, and deeper looks into the celebrity-legal circus surrounding the trial.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On privilege and persona:

  • “To me, her name is a shorthand for class, for elitism. She’s like the human embodiment of the 1%.” —Vanessa Grigoriadis, (05:24)

• On Goop’s brand of controversy:

  • “GOOP is perfectly positioned to capitalize on a climate in which willful ignorance to facts is becoming a political stance…” —Vanessa Grigoriadis, (19:57)

• On the melodrama of the court:

  • “Listening to Gwyneth here makes me think of that Great Gatsby line about Daisy Buchanan. Her voice is full of money. That’s Gwyneth.” —Vanessa Grigoriadis, (26:16)
  • “This courtroom may as well be a red carpet because what you wear to court sends a message. One that’s going to be analyzed to death.” —Vanessa Grigoriadis, (22:51)

• Gwyneth’s testifying style:

  • “You skied directly into my effing back at the top of your lungs.” —Plaintiff’s lawyer quoting Gwyneth, (28:08)
  • Gwyneth: “Yes, I did…I apologize for my bad language.” (28:16–28:18)
  • Gwyneth: “In the acting world, that’s a world of representatives… so when Eric, as an accredited Deer Valley ski instructor, said to me, I’ll fill out the paperwork… you allow somebody to represent you.” (29:03)
  • Gwyneth: “Well, I lost half a day of skiing, so.” (31:43)

• On Sanderson’s loss:

  • “I’m not asking, I’m telling you. You gotta leave…I know you would (stay), but don’t do it. You need your life. You run right now. And it was a sad time for both of us.” —Terry Sanderson, describing the aftermath of the accident (15:15)

---

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:40 – 02:23: Cinematic retelling of the accident and immediate aftermath
• 04:21 – 11:50: Deep dive into Gwyneth’s Hollywood background and Goop’s origins
• 14:23 – 19:50: Terry Sanderson’s lawsuit and Goop’s business of controversy
• 21:47 – 31:47: Courtroom scenes, Gwyneth’s testimony, legal and media spectacle
• 32:05: Teaser for next episode

---

Tone & Takeaways

The hosts combine careful investigative journalism with dry, sometimes biting wit, echoing the tone of pop culture commentary on celebrity excess and legal theater. Gwyneth is simultaneously portrayed as both emblematic of elite privilege and a savvy media operator, unafraid to weaponize controversy for personal and business gain. Sanderson is cast as the unglamorous “everyman” felled by an accident with Hollywood royalty; his claims are taken seriously but explored through a lens of public fascination—what does justice look like when wealth, fame, and viral moments collide?

---

Listen to Part 2 for the explosive continuation of the trial, more from the witness stand, and a closer look at what happens when luxury wellness meets legal drama.

Transcript

[A]

Shopping is hard.

[B]

I can never find anything in my size.

[C]

I don't even know my size. I buy my clothes the same place I buy my groceries.

[A]

There's a better way. Make it easy with Stitch Fix. Just share your size, style, budget and done. Your personal stylist sends pieces picked just for you.

[B]

That was easy.

[A]

Stitch Fix Online Personal styling for everyone. Free shipping and returns. No subscription required. Get started [e-mail].

[C]

Campsite media.

[D]

Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah it's an unseasonably warm morning on the slopes at one of America's fanciest ski resorts, where season passes cost $33,000 and fur hats at apres ski are the norm today. Sparkling white mountains are offset against azure blue skies. Snow speckled fir trees line the perfectly groomed run in the distance. One woman is making her way downhill. Her skis slice through the snow, carving neat parallel turns. This is a beginner run, but it's clear she's a pretty decent skier. In fact, this skier is Hollywood royalty. Her dad was a famous producer and director, her mom a well known actress, and she's a big star in her own right. Today she's playing the role of downhill skier. She bobs left, curves right, her long blonde hair bouncing under her helmet and ski goggles. Her legs bend into each turn as her ski poles graze the air elegantly behind her like oars gliding through crystal clear waters. Left, right, left, right. She feels powerful, free, like she can do anything she wants. She's heading towards the trees across the vast expanse of cloud, glistening snow, a slope of diamonds waiting just for her, when all of a sudden, out of.

[B]

Nowhere.

[D]

She collides with a man who has apparently been skiing just nearby. They hit the ground. He seems to scream in pain. She yells at him, something along the lines of what the you skied directly into my back. There's a whole hubbub. Her kid's ski instructor comes over to see what the fuss about and she gets up and just skis down the mountain, leaves the scene. He's not so lucky. He has to be stretchered down and rushed to medical attention because he's broken four ribs and got a concussion. She meanwhile goes and gets a massage because this is Gwyneth Paltrow, a huge, massive star as famous for her luxury lifestyle as she is for her movies. And even though she comes out of it relatively unscathed, she feels like she was the victim. He hit her, but he's going to say she collided with him. It's a real life whodunit where fact is stranger than fiction. And we're going to solve it together. From Sony Music Entertainment and Campside Media, this is infamous. I'm Natalie Robomed.

[B]

I'm Vanessa Gregoriadis, and this is episode.

[D]

One of our series, Murder on the Ski Slope Express. Just to be clear, there's no actual murder involved, right?

[B]

No, but there might as well be for how much drama this caused. I mean, talking about Gwyneth Paltrow, people love her, people hate her, and we're gonna be talking a lot more about her and goop and everything she's famous for later on. But mostly we're gonna talk about Gwyneth on this ski slope.

[D]

So Gwyneth skis, and I snowboard. Uh, but, Vanessa, are you a snow bunny?

[B]

I mean, you're making me embarrassed to say I am, but indeed I am. I grew up skiing on very, very icy slopes in Vermont, which means I do know a bit about ski collisions. Uh, not the greatest skier. The etiquette in those collisions. Typically, the person who is further down on the slope has the right of way, and the person higher up on the slope is supposed to avoid them. And when accidents happen like this, you're just supposed to be like, oh, yes, I just dusted myself off and catch you, you know, having a hot toddy later on. Totally, totally.

[D]

I guess you're supposed to help the other person up and make sure everyone's all right and just carry on.

[B]

Soldier on. We're hardy folk. Exactly.

[D]

But this person, the person that Gwyneth collided with, he was a man in his 70s, a retired optometrist from Utah, and he did sue.

[B]

Oh, no.

[D]

And it would go all the way to trial with Gwyneth Paltrow on the stand.

[B]

Well, I can't wait for that. Before we get to the ski accident and the epic lawsuit that happened after it and whether Gwyneth was a victim or a hero, I want to talk a little bit more about Gwyneth Paltrow, one of the most indelible figures in pop culture today. To me, her name is a shorthand for class, for elitism. She's like the human embodiment of the 1%. Her life started, of course, in Los Angeles. She was born in the 70s. Her mom was Blythe Danner, best known for performing on Broadway in plays like A Streetcar Named Desire. Her dad, Bruce Paltrow, produced the 80s show St. Elsewhere. And her godfather, oh, he was just Steven Spielberg. Given all this, it seems sort of inevitable that Gwyneth would end up acting. She did starting in the early 90s with roles in movies like Hook. What's your name?

[C]

Wendy Moira Angela Darling.

[B]

What's yours? The adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma.

[A]

The most incomprehensible thing in the world to a man is a woman who rejects his offer of marriage.

[B]

Gwyneth was not married herself, but she was the girlfriend of America's sexiest man, Brad Pitt, which put her on the COVID of many magazines. But her real breakthrough came in 1998. How.

[A]

Now, who calls?

[B]

That's Gwyneth in Shakespeare in Love. She plays the daughter of a wealthy merchant who falls in love with Shakespeare. So, you know, playing to type. And she becomes Shakespeare's muse. But they can't be together, and it's a whole tragic thing. On screen in these movies, Gwyneth looks so beautiful. She was the fair haired girl of dreams. Elegant, delicately boned to the manner born. And she even won Hollywood's biggest award.

[E]

And the Oscar goes to. Gwyneth Paltrow.

[F]

Shakespeare.

[B]

In life, Gwyneth became a superstar. The Royal Tenenbaums, Iron Man 2. So many movies that earned her so many millions of dollars. But the role I really want to talk about in terms of who Gwyneth was and what she would come to symbolize is perhaps her weirdest part ever.

[F]

Shallow Hal, it never occurred to you.

[C]

That picking girls solely on their looks may not be the best way to go about it.

[B]

Now this was 2001, and I'd like to think that Gwyneth wouldn't make this movie today, that nobody would make this movie. But in case it's not seared in your memory like it is in mine, here's what happens. Jack Black plays a guy who judges women solely on their looks until one day he's hypnotized to see inner beauty in the women he dates.

[F]

I want you to imagine that you're on a beach, okay? It's a warm day and the sun is just starting to set. And you're looking in the eyes of a woman. You're seeing her soul.

[B]

This leads him to Rosemary, AKA Gwyneth Paltrow. In Hal's eyes, she looks like the Gwyneth Paltrow who won the Oscar. Blonde, skinny, drop dead gorgeous in the most conventional Hollywood sense. But to the rest of the world, there's Rosemary. Where?

[E]

Straight ahead, across the field is she?

[F]

Behind the rhino.

[B]

She's a rhino. An overweight, gluttonous, fat woman.

[C]

Can I get a double pizza, burger, chili fries with cheese and a large chocolate milkshake?

[B]

What's implied in all of this, of course, is that a fat woman couldn't possibly be beautiful. Which, yeah, very cool in hindsight, this distasteful role in Shallow Hal is also a. A kind of bizarre foreshadowing because Gwyneth is about to pivot from actress to health guru. She's going to start selling so many products that promise to turn Rosemary's into Gwyneths, her whole brand is about to become wellness, Thinness, beauty. Now, if there's one thing I know from living in LA for a long time, it's that there's a lot of pressure on actresses to be thin. So it's no surprise that Gwen starts experimenting with her diet. She does the Master Cleanse, which has no known medical benefits. The Master Cleanse, a liquid only diet made up of drinking lemonade made of cayenne pepper, lemons and grade b maple syrup nine times a day. A 10 day diet where you don't.

[E]

Eat any food, you just drink liquids.

[B]

When she does eat, she starts eating macrobiotic. A diet that was all the rage in the early 2000s, the dietary theory.

[A]

Of macrobiotics, which is using whole foods.

[D]

To balance your mind and your spirit and your moods.

[B]

And she gets interested in alternative medicines, you know, acupuncture, yoga, Reiki, cupping.

[E]

Paltrow showed up at the premiere of the movie Anchorman with some mysterious crop circle like bruises.

[B]

Nowadays these sorts of new age practices are so commonplace, and I have to say some of them also awesome, that it's hard to remember that there was a time when they were considered alternative. And of course they've been used by the cultures they originated in for centuries before the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow discovered them. But Gwyneth doesn't just discover them, she starts promoting them. Because in 2008, Gwyneth lodges a newsletter called Goop.

[C]

When I started Goop in 2008, I was like, my calling is something else besides, you know, making out with Matt Damon on screen or whatever. To me it's all like laddering up to one thing, which is optimization of self. Like, we're here one time, one life. Like, how can we really, like milk the shit out of this?

[B]

The name Goop is a play on her initials, gp. A branding expert told her all great Internet companies have double O's in their name, hence goop. So now she's famous for being an actress and she's famous for goop. And soon she'll also be famous for a ski accident.

[G]

This time of year can be tough. The holidays are near and they're supposed to feel joyful. But for so many, they bring stress around food, weight and body image. That's why hers is here to support your journey so you can feel your best. Weight loss by hers is realistic, not restrictive. If prescribed, you get medication as part of a doctor developed weight loss program complete with ongoing care, check ins, dosage and medication adjustments and access to 24. 7 online support at no additional cost, no hidden fees and no membership fees. Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair or find relief for anxiety, hers has you covered. Visit forhers.cominfamous to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you that's F O R H E-R-S.cominfamous forhers.cominfamous weight loss by hers is not available everywhere. Compounded drug products are not approved or evaluated for safety, effectiveness or quality by the fda. Prescription required. See website for full details, important safety information and restrictions. Actual price depends on product and plan purchased.

[H]

Did you know you can save up to 70% on the best brands just by shopping at from rebel.com we're talking about strollers, car seats, high chairs, espresso machines, cookware. Everything you need for way less. Here's how it works. Every single day, rebbl drops thousands of new products on the site for up to 70% off. It is a constant stream of endless deals from top brands like UPPAbaby, Nuna, Baby Bjorn, Breville, Nespresso, KitchenAid, Le Creuset and more. But you have to act fast because every deal is one of a kind. So if you see something you love, make sure you add to cart fast. So stop paying full price when you don't have to. Whether it's baby gear, kitchen upgrades, or a treasure for your home you didn't know you needed, Rebel has it for way less. Up to 70% less. Shop from rebel.com and save big.

[E]

This is infamous from Campside Media.

[B]

All right, so remember how at the beginning of the episode I told you about Gwyneth on that ski slope, she got into an accident with a guy from Utah? She says that he hit her, but he insists she crashed into him. He is Terry Sanderson, a retired optometrist. He's in his 70s with rimless glasses. You know optometrists, they tend to wear glasses. He looks sort of like your everyday dad or granddad, just an average guy. But Sanderson claimed his life was turned upside down by the crash. Besides the four broken ribs and a concussion he says he really suffered mentally, he's got lasting brain damage and his relationship with his girlfriend was ruined because of it. Here he is discussing the impact of the crash, and if this doesn't make you feel bad for him, you might not have a heart.

[F]

I had to tell her to leave. I said, I'm not asking, I'm telling you. You gotta leave. I said, I'm not sure I'm gonna get back to normal again. And I don't want you to feel like you're. That I'm a crippled vet and you're gonna stick it out with me because I know you would. Half a brain or whatever, I know you would, but don't do it. You need your life. You run right now. And it was a sad time for both of us.

[B]

But Terry decides to fight back. And in 2019, he sues Gwyneth.

[E]

She's being sued for an alleged skiing hit and run, which is the basis for the new series Law and White Crimes Unit. The man is now seeking more than 3. $3.1 million or two items on Goop.

[B]

Now, Gwyneth must know the etiquette of the slopes. You're not supposed to sue over things like this. Maybe she thinks this guy is just after her money. So she countersues.

[E]

She's filing a countersuit against a man who's suing her for millions over collision on a Utah ski slope.

[A]

Gwyneth Paltrow filing this countersuit saying this is all an attempt to exploit her celebrity and her wealth.

[B]

Celebrities deal with lawsuits all the time. It's the cost of doing business in the public eye. But most of the time, in situations like this, celebrities will settle out of court. They'll pay whatever they need to to prevent their private lives from becoming public, from having to take the stand. But Guanes, not like that. Even though she's a member of the 1%, she knows that controversy can be good for business. And she knows this because in the years that passed between 2008 and 2019, Goop became big business for Gwyneth. Goop began as a sort of lifestyle newsletter with Gwyneth's chic recommendations for recipes, fashion and travel. First up, into your inbox, a recipe for vegan and gluten free banana nut muffins made with casual, everyday pantry staples like brown rice syrup and barley flour. Pretty soon, Gwyneth had a cookbook, and then another one. And gradually, like everything in the 2010s, Goop became a brand. But what did that brand stand for? Not muffins, not really. It was aspirational. And even more than that, it was inaccessible. Gwyneth is the arbiter of rich, fancy taste. And the products that Goop promotes and sells are shamelessly expensive, out of touch, and very female. A $15,000 dildo, vaginal steaming, A jade egg that you place in your vagina. A vagina scented candle. In other words, it's not only expensive, it's also ridiculous. In fact, it seems like these products are meant to promote controversy. And they do, time and time again. It's not an accident that GOOP is constantly going viral for selling ridiculous things. Gwen detailed every step of her long Covid recovery process, enthusiastically listing the products.

[E]

For sale alongside her writing on Goop's.

[B]

Website, such as the Goop Wellness Box for $265 or her infrared sauna blanket in stock for $600.

[C]

Goop launched a luxury disposable diaper at $120 for a pack of 12 TikTokers.

[B]

Accusing the star of promoting unhealthy eating habits. Comments included is starving wellness. It also spreads pseudoscience under the guise of just asking questions. And it's caught a lot of heat for it. Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle company has agreed to pay a six figure settlement for false advertising.

[A]

Vaginal eggs were promoted as a way.

[B]

To balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles and increase bladder control.

[A]

But here's the problem. Jade is porous, so it can hold a ton of bacteria, which gynecologists say could lead to infections or toxic shock. It's basically like putting a dirty kitchen sponge in your baby maker.

[B]

All this at a time when it seems like there's more misinformation and anti science rhetoric than ever before.

[C]

If somebody has the amount of privilege that Gwyneth Paltrow does, why can't she use it correctly?

[D]

Why can't she use it to pass out great information?

[B]

GOOP is perfectly positioned to capitalize on a climate in which willful ignorance to facts is becoming a political stance. But still, by 2018, Goop is valued at $250 million. Because Gwyneth seems to know that when people are paying attention, she's making money. So maybe when she decides to go to court with Terry Sanderson, Gwyneth thinks she's gonna look really good and go really viral. The thing is, no one else thinks this. When she walks into court, pretty much all of America is watching. And the general consensus is stop. No way Gwyneth so obviously did this. Olivia Culpo here to tell you all about the launch of the new Abercrombie spring denim collection. Made the way denim should feel. Their denim has always been a staple in my wardrobe and has a wide range of fits, styles and washes. Every jean is available in both their Classic Fit and Viral Curve Love. Shop in the app, online and in stores.

[E]

The holidays mean more travel, more shopping, more time online and more personal info in more places that could expose you more to identity theft. But LifeLock monitors millions of data points per second. If your identity is stolen, our US based restoration specialists will fix it, guaranteed or your money back. Don't face drained accounts, fraudulent loans or financial losses alone. Get more holiday fun and less holiday worry with LifeLock. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com podcast terms apply. You're listening to Infamous from Campside Media.

[B]

March 2023 the third district courthouse in Park City, Utah. The snow still melted on the road and piles of powder lined the entryway to the courthouse. Gwyneth, the 1% actress turned new Age media baron steps out of a black suv. Of course, Gwyneth's long blonde hair trails down her back. She cuts a slight figure. In fact, she's just gone viral for talking about her diet, which currently consists of a lot of intermittent fasting and drinking bone broth for lunch. She enters the courtroom. It's a bland beige color lined with wood benches that look like church pews. She settles in behind a desk on the right side of the room and she's wearing something fabulous.

[A]

Before I let you go, who are.

[B]

You wearing this evening?

[E]

Who are you wearing?

[C]

Who are you wearing tonight?

[A]

Who are you wearing this evening? Show us your outfit.

[B]

Here. Now. This courtroom may as well be a red carpet because what you wear to court sends a message. One that's going to be analyzed to death. Remember when Winona Ryder was on trial for shoplifting? She wore girly headbands and dresses. The effect was who me? I couldn't possibly have stolen $5,000 of designer clothes. Martha Stewart, on the other hand, she was absolutely slaughtered in the press for carrying a $20,000 Birkin to her fraud case. It just made her look so out of touch. Now what Gwyneth wears to this trial is the epitome of a trend called stealth wealth. It's a style with no easily identifiable designer items, no gauche logos splashed all over. Everything is understated but clearly expensive. The fabrics are luxurious. The colors are earthy neutrals. Money talks and wealth whispers. The one weird thing Gwyneth does wear are these glasses. These gold framed 70s aviator style glasses. They look like the same glasses worn by serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Probably not the best aesthetic to emulate. So here sits Gwyneth Paltrow in her Stealth wealth knit sweater and her Jeffrey Dahmer glasses. The judge begins by addressing the jury.

[F]

You may have seen or heard outside. The courtroom is not evidence and you must entirely disregard it.

[B]

In other words, stop thinking about Gwyneth, a public person. Think about Gwyneth on the slope, just incognito.

[F]

You may call your next witness.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Your honor, we'd like to call Gwyneth Paltrow.

[B]

Hi. Hi. She approaches the stand. On this day, she's wearing head to toe Prada. Black polo shirt buttoned all the way up, skirt, black boots. Her hair frames her face in loose waves.

[H]

Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give in the case now before the court will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

[B]

Thank you.

[F]

Good afternoon.

[B]

Good afternoon. Almost immediately, Gwenna's star power seems to be having an effect on the lawyer interrogating her back there.

[A]

Seems like evening, doesn't it?

[C]

I've been inside all day. I have no idea.

[A]

You and me both.

[B]

The lawyer staring at Gwyneth just with a kind of nervous reverence.

[A]

I'm just a country lawyer here.

[F]

Okay.

[A]

Could you state your name and spell it for the record, please?

[C]

Yes. My legal name is Gwyneth Kate Paltrow Falchuk. That's G, W, Y, N E T H K A T E P A L, T R O W F a L, C H U K. Great.

[A]

Thank you. May I call you Ms. Paltrow?

[B]

Sure.

[A]

Okay, fantastic. As you've seen the last few days, we always have the witnesses, give background information, tell about the yourself, etc. I have a feeling that everybody in the courtroom knows who you are. So we're not going to go through all the background. We're just going to kind of cut to the chase. Is that fair?

[C]

Sounds fine.

[B]

Listening to Gwyneth here makes me think of that Great Gatsby line about Daisy Buchanan. Her voice is full of money. That's Gwyneth.

[A]

You were skiing that day with your daughter. Apple.

[C]

Correct.

[A]

Moses, my son, and Brad Falchuk, who was your boyfriend at the time. Now, current husband.

[C]

Correct.

[B]

All right.

[A]

And his two children?

[C]

That's right.

[A]

And his kids were the same approximate age as yours on the day of the ski collision.

[C]

They all remain the same age.

[A]

That's a very good point.

[C]

More like the Brady Bunch. Girls are the same age, boys are the same age.

[A]

So the children, all four of Them had lessons during that trip.

[C]

That's right.

[F]

Okay.

[A]

Would you agree that those lessons were fairly expensive? They were.

[F]

Okay.

[A]

The total bill was around $8,980. And then tips on top of that.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. And I'm assuming you're under oath here, that you're a good tipper.

[F]

Yes.

[A]

Hey, fantastic. I wouldn't expect anything less.

[B]

The lawyer is smiling at Gwyneth, practically flirting. And remember, this is the optometrist's lawyer questioning her.

[A]

May I ask how tall you are?

[C]

I'm just under 5:10.

[F]

Okay.

[A]

I am so jealous.

[C]

I think I'm shrinking though.

[A]

You and me both. I have to wear 4 inch heels just to make it to 5'5.

[B]

Then she moves onto the accident itself.

[A]

And so you guys are on the ground. And then you said to him, I think you don't know if you were up or if you were still on the ground. But he was still on the ground, right?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

When you said, what are you doing?

[D]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. Like, why did you do that?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

And he said, I think you skied into me.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

And that's when you were furious and said, you skied directly into my effing back at the top of your lungs.

[C]

Yes, I did.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I apologize for my bad language.

[B]

This is a great line read from Gwyneth. If I was a director and she was playing the role of America's sweetheart on the stand, I would yell, cut. We got the take. Fantastic performance of charismatic regret. I mean, the courtroom is almost laughing.

[C]

I was yelling at him pretty loud, pretty forceful. I was pretty upset.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You're small but mighty. Actually, you're not that small.

[B]

So after the incident, the small but mighty Gwyneth left the scene and let the kids ski instructor deal with the fallout. It seems really callous, but Gwyneth explains that's just the way things are done in her world.

[C]

In the acting world, that's a world of representatives. So you have an agent who represents you. And so if they say, you know, I'm going to provide information, you allow somebody to represent you. So when Eric, as an accredited Deer Valley ski instructor, said to me, I'll fill out the paperwork, he knew also that my daughter was at the bottom waiting for me to come for lunch or at the lunch place.

[A]

And so Mr. Christensen handled it for you.

[C]

Mr. Christensen stayed and filled out the report, made sure Mr. Sanderson was okay, and said to me, you can go ahead.

[B]

The lawyer tries to push Gwyneth. There's someone claiming to be an eyewitness who says they saw Gwyneth crash into Sanderson.

[A]

Okay, well.

[C]

And I can tell you that he didn't because Mr. Sanderson categorically hit me on that ski slope. And that is the truth.

[A]

And I'm sure that that's what you believe. I'm not saying.

[C]

Because it's the truth.

[A]

I'm not saying. That you learned that Mr. Sanderson broke four ribs.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. And that he sustained a concussion.

[C]

Correct.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

That he went. Was taken down on toboggan.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Did you learn of that that day?

[D]

No.

[A]

Did you inquire.

[C]

What is your name again? Sorry. Kristen.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Sorry. I was gonna say Kristen. I think you have to keep in mind, when you're the victim of a crash. Right. Your psychology is not necessarily thinking about the person who perpetrated it.

[A]

So the answer to my question is no, you did not inquire.

[B]

After.

[A]

The incident, you skied down, went to lunch, and then my understanding is you got a massage.

[C]

So after the accident, I met all the rest of the kids at lunch. We all gathered, we had lunch, and I still felt very shaky, and my knee was bothering me, my back was bothering me. So I decided to go in early and get a massage.

[B]

Yep. After the accident, Gwyneth got a massage. Here's her reading a text she sent to her soon to be husband on.

[C]

That day I came in. That guy sort of hurt me. I'm gonna get a massage at 3. Gigi is here if he wants to come. Gigi was our babysitter.

[A]

Is it true that you feel it's unfair that Mr. Sanderson has brought this case against you?

[C]

I do.

[A]

And he has deterred you from enjoying the rest of what was a very expensive vacation?

[C]

Well, I lost half a day of skiing, so.

[B]

Terry Sanderson claimed he had four broken ribs, a concussion, and lasting brain damage. Gwyneth lost half a day of skiing. She was definitely gonna lose this case. Next time on Infamous.

[E]

Do you realize your buddy just took out Gwyneth Paltrow?

[C]

It's an actual dollar that I'm asking.

[E]

For when you say it wasn't me, it was, in fact, you.

[F]

It's the other personality that's inhabiting my body right now.

[E]

And you blink one Gwyneth Paltrow for that?

[F]

No question.