THE LAWSUIT THAT ENDED WITH $1

On 26 February 2016, Gwyneth Paltrow collided with retired optometrist Terry Sanderson on a beginner ski slope at Deer Valley Resort in Utah. Both agreed that a collision had occurred. They disagreed completely about who had caused it.

Sanderson claimed that Paltrow had skied into him from behind, leaving him with four broken ribs and a brain injury, before leaving the scene. He initially sought more than $3 million in damages. After parts of his case were dismissed, he pursued a reduced claim for $300,000.

Paltrow said Sanderson had struck her from behind. She countersued for a symbolic $1 and her legal costs, explaining that accepting a settlement would mean acquiescing to a false claim.

Seven years after the collision, the dispute reached trial.

The proceedings were broadcast live. Paltrow's clothes, facial expressions and remarks about losing half a day of skiing became social-media content. Her wealth and celebrity were treated as part of the evidence by audiences following the case online.

The legal question was narrower: which skier had been uphill and therefore responsible for avoiding the collision?

After eight days of evidence, the jury reached its verdict on 30 March 2023. It found Sanderson 100% responsible for the crash and Paltrow not at fault. She was awarded the $1 she had requested.

The decision was unanimous.

As Paltrow left the courtroom, she briefly spoke to Sanderson. He later said she had told him: "I wish you well."

The trial was remembered as entertainment: the outfits, the memes and the spectacle of an Oscar-winning actor defending a claim for one dollar. But the outcome was not ambiguous.

Paltrow had been publicly accused of skiing recklessly, seriously injuring another person and abandoning him on the mountain. When the evidence was tested, the jury found that he had caused the collision.

The accusation sought $300,000. The defence sought $1.

The dollar was symbolic. The verdict was complete.

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