Gwyneth Paltrow's stunned reaction after claimant compared skiing lawsuit to 'molesting young children'
In a bizarre claim which the judge ordered the jury to ignore, retired optometrist Terry Sanderson seemingly referenced convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Gwyneth Paltrow was left wide-eyed in shock during her recent court case when the retired doctor trying to sue her over a skiing accident appeared to reference convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a bizarre moment while giving evidence, Terry Sanderson said Paltrow should be held "accountable" for the crash he claimed she caused, before bringing up "the molesting of young children on an island".
The high-profile and often entertaining trial came to an end on Thursday when a jury ruled that the actor was not responsible for injuries sustained by retired optometrist Sanderson during a ski slope collision in Utah in 2016.
The doctor who is suing Gwyneth Paltrow says he is suing her because celebrities need to be held accountable and that when celebrities aren't held responsible, they start doing things like molesting children on islands.
So we got a QAnon guy on our hands... pic.twitter.com/cgtawDyv21— Yashar Ali :elephant: یاشار (@yashar) March 30, 2023
Sanderson had sought more than $300,000 in damages from Paltrow, claiming she caused injuries that led to a traumatic brain injury.
But following the trial, a jury sided with Paltrow, who claimed she was the one that had been hit and counter-sued for $1.
Read more: Gwyneth Paltrow and the return of celebrity ‘wellness’ extremism
The trial has included several bizarre moments, from Paltrow being asked about her height and whether she is friends with Taylor Swift, to the actress's lawyers being told not to bring 'treats' to the court bailiffs as a thank you for them helping shield her from paparazzi.
Other bizarre moments included Sanderson recreating the 'blood-curdling scream' he claimed he heard during the crash, and comparisons of Paltrow to King Kong and Godzilla.
As the 76-year-old gave evidence, he left Paltrow visibly shocked as he made the apparent reference to Epstein.
In a brief speech in which he suggested he wanted her to be "accountable" for the crash, he told the court: "It's absolutely ignoring me – ignorance – and that's what it felt like. It's like 'what is going on here?'.
"This is obviously an issue that someone needs to be accountable for and if they're never accountable what are they going to do? They're going to do it again."
He went on to say: "Now we have the molesting of young children on an island," adding: "Denial."
As Paltrow looked wide-eyed in shock, her lawyer branded it "ridiculous testimony" and the jury was ordered by the judge to ignore it.
In courtroom footage, the actor could be seen continuing to shake her head in disbelief.
As the trial concluded, Paltrow was seen whispering in the ear of her accuser.
He later told reporters outside that she had said: "I wish you well", to which he had replied: "Thank you, dear."
In a statement after the verdict was given, Paltrow said: "I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity.
"I am pleased with the outcome and I appreciate all of the hard work of Judge Holmberg and the jury, and thank them for their thoughtfulness in handling this case."
