Gwyneth Paltrow Testifying After Being Accused Of Leaving Scene Of 2016 Ski Collision!

UPDATE, 6:18 pm PT: So it sounds like Gwyneth Paltrow will not be the only family member taking the stand in this salacious ski collision trial!

On Tuesday, the star’s lawyer delivered opening arguments in the civil suit brought against her by a Utah doctor for that now-infamous 2016 ski slope accident. And judging by attorney Stephen Owens‘ comments in Park City District Court, it sounds like Gwyneth’s husband Brad Falchuk and her 18-year-old daughter Apple and 16-year-old son Moses will testify during the trial. Damn!!

Owens used his intro remarks on the record to explain how the Deer Valley Resort had long been a “sentimental” place for the A-lister following her father Bruce Paltrow‘s death back in 2002. Noting how Falchuk was in attendance at the scene of the accident, the lawyer stated:

“So it was a sentimental issue because she had started getting back into skiing and she did it because she wanted her kids to learn like she had. And [Falchuk] has kids the exact same age as Gwyneth’s daughter and son. And this was really their first trip to sort of a have a mixed, see-if-this-might-work. So it was a special time and it was a lovely day.”

So that’s definitely interesting. It would seem he is (understandably) very much angling for an emotional push with the big ski trip in light of what happened.

But then things got even more intriguing. Later in his opening statement, Owens added this about the people who are supposedly set to be available to recount the events of February 26, 2016 on the record in court:

“[Gwyneth], Brad, now her husband who you’re going to hear from, her daughter Apple, who you’re going to hear from, Moses, who you’re gonna hear from.”

Wow!

FWIW, Apple was 11 and Moses was 9 when the crash occurred.

It’ll definitely be worth following this trial as it winds its way through court to see how this progresses.

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Gwyneth Paltrow to the stand!

It’s taken several years for this skiing incident to make its way to trial, but it looks like it’s finally time for the judges to hear the story. In January of 2019 the 50-year-old actress was slapped with a multimillion dollar lawsuit over a supposed accident that occurred three years prior, back in 2016.

According to legal docs, Gwyneth was taking skiing lessons with instructor Eric Christiansen at the skiers-only resort of Deer Valley in the Park City area of Utah on February 26, 2016. The lawsuit claims the Goop founder was “out of control” on the beginner’s green run and slammed into a man named Terry Sanderson from behind. This crash resulted in her “knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries.” Yeesh… The retired optometrist says he was left with no choice but to sue after she refused to take responsibility!

The suit alleges the Avengers star “got up, turned and skied away, leaving [Sanderson] stunned, lying in the snow.” The instructor allegedly sided with his star client and blamed the injured man for the crash at the time! The lawsuit claims Christiansen “failed to send help, as he was obligated to do, and later filed a false report to protect his client.” Due to all this, Sanderson filed the suit against Gwyneth, her instructor, the Deer Valley Resort Company, and two unnamed employees for a whopping $3.1 million plus attorney fees.

A rep for the actress told Fox News back in 2019 the lawsuit was “completely without merit,” assuring they “expect to be vindicated.” But they weren’t able to keep it out of court. The trial is set to kick off Tuesday, per The New York Post, and sources close to the Oscar winner say she’s actually going to testify!

The actress has fought the suit from the beginning. She previously filed a countersuit against Sanderson, blaming him for the collision and seeking $1 million in damages! She cited the report her instructor filed at the time as her proof.

Even if it’s possible for Sanderson to win this case, he’s not getting anywhere near the $3.1 million he originally wanted. A judge ruled he’s only entitled to around $300k! We really hope that covers the medical costs — in this country you never know! Should he win? Who’s right? That is for a jury to decide after hearing all the facts. They’ll have to weigh everything, including the Royal Tenenbaums star’s testimony, and decide who they believe. Will her acting skills help? We’ll have to see…

We’ll be sure to keep you updated as more deets become available. What do U think, Perezcious readers? Let us know (below)!

[Image via MEGA/WENN/Instagram/Gwyneth Paltrow]