Kriti Mehrotra
While there’s no denying the lives of celebrities and civilians are often worlds apart, there are times they align because the truth is that we all value the same things — truth, kindness, and family. However, it was quite different for actress Gwyneth Paltrow and retired optometrist Terry Sanderson since they literally crashed into one another on a Deer Valley ski slope on February 26, 2016. Yet for now, following their ensuing court proceedings as well as Max’s ‘Gwyneth vs. Terry: The Ski Crash Trial,’ if you simply wish to learn more about the latter, we’ve got the details for you.
Who is Terry Sanderson?
It was reportedly back when Terry was merely a young boy growing up in Fairview, Montana, that he first developed an interest in the sciences, just for it to continue expanding as the years passed. He thus didn’t hesitate to enroll at North Montana College as soon as he was able before deciding to find his way to the University of Montana to earn a Bachelor’s in Zoology with Pre-Med Options. Then came his specialization in vision care from Pacific University, unaware he’d be spending the ensuing three years serving in the army before getting a chance to set up a private practice in Idaho.
By this point, Terry had actually already tied the knot with Tara Cushman — they’d married in a beautiful ceremony on June 14, 1970 — leading him to really settle down in Soda Springs, Idaho. That’s where they even welcomed as well as raised their three daughters, Polly Sanderson (Gresham), Jenny Bea Sanderson, and Shae Sanderson (Herath), right until it was time for him to move on. The couple separated, and he eventually evolved from a full-time healthcare provider to a retiree turned consultant too — the latter was likely when he relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, around 2010.
Terry’s shift to Utah was ostensibly quite unsurprising for many because he was a known skiing enthusiast, and this state does have one of the most exclusive ski resort towns in the form of Deer Valley. Though little did he know everything would soon turn upside down as he’d get into a horrible accident with none other than actress plus lifestyle entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow right on the slopes. That’s especially because she claimed he was the one to crash into her from behind after he argued the opposite with additional assertions of it resulting in him suffering permanent brain damage.
It was actually in January 2019 that Terry filed a lawsuit for just over $3 million against Gwyneth, alleging she recklessly ran him down before skiing away without a word on that fateful morning. His claim read, in part, that she knocked him down, landed on top of him, and caused him to suffer a concussion, brain injury, and four broken ribs, along with other injuries affecting his daily life. As for the reason this then-72-year-old retired optometrist waited three years to sue her, he stated he took action only when he couldn’t reach a settlement with the Hollywood star’s lawyers.
Terry later adjusted his demand for damages to $300,000, yet Gwyneth still countersued him for $1 since she believed he was lying and exaggerating to capitalize on her fame, or wealth, or both. The matter hence went to trial in early 2023, during which he testified that he was now a shell of his former world-traveling, social, enthusiastic self because his brain chemistry had been altered. On the other hand, she expressed the way she initially feared that maybe somebody had bumped into her from behind on purpose for perverted reasons before realizing it was a complete accident.
However, what swayed the jury in Gwyneth’s favor were four very significant aspects unrelated to either of their testimonies: cross-examination of the sole eyewitness who went back on his word, animation of her version of the events, experts contending Terry already suffered from 15 health conditions before the crash even occurred, plus photographic proof of his recent lifestyle. The latter, in particular, came from his then-public Facebook profile, which showed him still following his passions by traversing the world, experiencing new cultures, as well as skiing like he always had.
Terry Sanderson is Focusing on His Post-Retirement Life
After eight days of trial and a mere two hours of jury deliberations in March 2023, Terry Sanderson was found 100% responsible for the crash and thus liable to pay not just the $1 demanded by Gwyneth but also her entire legal fees. Nevertheless, in the end, in exchange for not appealing this verdict, the Goop founder fully waived his latter penalty, which could’ve gone into the seven figures considering the renowned experts she’d hired.
Since then, from what we can tell, the retired doctor has preferred to remain well away from the limelight in the hopes of returning to normalcy in Salt Lake City, Utah, to the best of his abilities. This father of four had already expressed that going down this route has definitely not been worth it for him owing to the negative publicity as well as the loss, but he did take it with grace. Terry had quipped on the witness stands how he would probably never be able to use a dating app again because of the infamy he’d found in “the pain of trying to sue a celebrity.”
Then, later on, upon members of the press stating that he can now probably land his own reality series, he replied, “I’m going to be on the internet forever… I don’t need [a reality show].” In other words, he has made it clear he has no intention of rehashing this incident for fame or gain again. As for Terry’s world traveling, since that had purportedly been suggested to him by his healthcare provider, it’s possible he continues to make the most of his retirement in that sense to this day.
Read More: Karlene Davidson: Where is Terry Sanderson’s Ex-Girlfriend Now?
