A retired optometrist suing Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow for plowing into him on a ski slope was so changed by the accident his own granddaughter doesn’t want to be near him, the doctor’s daughter testified Friday.
Dr. Terry Sanderson’s daughter Shae Sanderson Herath, 52, tearfully recounted how her father is just a shell of the man he once was.
The mom of two described an incident following the 2016 ski crash where the door of her Honda Odyssey was malfunctioning — and Sanderson couldn’t cope.
Sanderson, 76, was screaming and “laying it down hard on” his granddaughter, Herath said.
“She doesn’t like my dad. She doesn’t like him,” she said of one of her daughters.
Sanderson is suing Paltrow for $300,000, claiming the Oscar-winning actress negligently plowed into him on the Park City, Utah slopes on Feb 26, 2016.
He claims the accident left him with permanent brain damage.
Paltrow, who strutted into court Friday wearing black chunky boots, a dark-colored skirt, and a long-sleeve black collared shirt, countersued and is seeking $1 from Sanderson and legal fees.
She says the retiree crashed into her and denies his claim she fled after the crash.
On the stand, Herath described her father before the crash as someone with “a zest for life.”
“I really idolized my dad growing up,” she says. “Everyone seemed to love him.”
After the accident, however, her dad grew “very insecure,” she said, and “he doesn’t trust his brain anymore.”
She added his whole personality has changed.
While neither party denies the crash happened, who caused it remains contested.
Paltrow’s team says there is no causal link between the crash and Sanderson’s mental decline, citing a slew of health conditions he had beforehand, some of which were serious.
Paltrow, 50, is expected to take the stand Friday and will work to convince the jury she’s the victim in the case,
The actress already tried and failed to earn goodwill from the court after asking the judge if her bodyguards could bring “treats” for the bailiffs to thank them for their service.
“Private security for my client wanted to bring in treats for the bailiffs for how helpful they’ve been,” her lawyer Stephen Owens told the judge on Thursday.
“So, I wanted to do that transparently and see if there are any objections.”
Sanderson’s lawyers immediately objected to the idea.
“Let them know, ‘thank you, but no thank,’” Judge Kent Holmberg said.
Paltrow has been unafraid to flaunt her wealth in court, sporting $65,000 in necklaces, according to the Daily Mail.
The “Goop” founder also wore a blouse from her own brand worth $595 and $1,200 Celine boots, according to the outlet.
