A member of jury in the high-profiled ski crash trial involving the 'Shallow Hal' actress insists the verdict was based on 'the evidence' and 'the law,' not the star's fame.
- April 2, 2023
AceShowbiz - A juror in Gwyneth Paltrow's ski crash trial defends the verdict, insisting it wasn't influenced by the actress' fame. The 50-year-old star was taken to court by Terry Sanderson for $300,000 over a 2016 collision at Utah's Deer Valley Resort while she countersued for costs plus a "symbolic" amount of $1 and, on Thursday, March 30, a jury in Park City, Utah, found the retired optometrist "100 percent" at fault for the accident, but Samantha Imrie has stressed the panel weren't influenced by the Goop founder's "celebrity."
"It's important that the public doesn't just think that this was a win because Gwyneth's a celebrity. I mean, this is based on the evidence. This is based on the law. I do work in medicine and you have to look at everyone the same. So I think that that should apply in the courtroom as well," she told ABC News.
The 31-year-old nurse found the trial "shocking" but said she found Gwyneth's testimony - that she had not skiied into the retired optometrist and he had caused the collision - convincing. She said, "The whole thing was a little shocking to me."
"I think there was, in the back of my mind, yes, this woman's an actress and I took that into account, but I didn't feel she had a reason to lie under oath. She's always in the spotlight so she always has to be honest."
But Samantha also felt Terry was "telling his truth." She said, "[Sanderson] was telling his truth and I think unfortunately some of that has been distorted due to some other factors. But I do think he did not intend to tell a truth that wasn't his truth."
Terry, 76, first sued Gwyneth in 2019 alleging he had suffered a brain injury, four broken ribs, and other injuries, as well as "severe psychological problems including fear, anxiety and depression," as a result of the "Shakespeare in Love" star crashing into him on the slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Utah.
He initially sought damages of $3.1 million before a judge slashed it to $300,000 in compensation for the injuries he allegedly sustained. The actress countersued a month later, arguing he was the one who "ploughed into her back" and "blamed her for it in an attempt to exploit her celebrity and wealth."
Following a trial of over a week, the jury took just two hours and 20 minutes to agree on their verdict.
