Gwyneth Paltrows attorneys asked the daughter of a man suing the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer over a 2016 ski collision about missing GoPro camera footage that they called the most important piece of evidence at trial today.
Steve Owens, Paltrows attorney, asked one of the mans daughters, Polly Grasham, about emails exchanged with her father about the mysterious footage and the possibility that the lawsuit was filed against Paltrow because she was famous.
The Go Pro footage has not been found or included as evidence for the trial.
Im famous At what cost? Terry Sanderson, the 76-year-old retired optometrist suing Paltrow, wrote in the subject line of an email to his family after the crash.
Sanderson is suing Paltrow for more than $300,000 in damages, claiming that she skied recklessly into him on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort seven years ago, breaking his ribs and leaving him with a concussion. Paltrow has claimed Sanderson caused the crash and countersued for $1 and attorney fees.
The trial took on an increasingly personal note on the third day of proceedings when Sandersons daughter and a neuropsychologist testified about his declining health.
Sandersons attorneys tried to persuade jurors that the collision had changed the course of their clients life, leaving him brain-impaired and damaging his relationships with loved ones.
Paltrows attorneys questioned whether Grasham and neuropsychologist Dr. Alina Fong could say with certainty that Sandersons downturn wasnt a result of aging or documented, pre-crash conditions. They questioned Grasham about her fathers anger problems, divorces and estranged relationship with another of his daughters, who is not testifying at trial.
Paltrow has previously called the lawsuit an attempt to exploit her fame and celebrity. On Thursday, was Steve Owens, her lead counsel, asked Grasham why her father sent messages referring to her fame.
It matches his personality a little bit, making light of a serious situation, Grasham said of the email.
Owens probed deeply about Sandersons obsession with the case and whether he thought it was cool to collide with a celebrity like Paltrow, the Oscar-winning star of Shakespeare in Love and founder-CEO of the wellness company, Goop.
Sanderson is also expected to testify on Thursday about the lasting effects of the crash as the third day of the trial takes on an increasingly personal turn after a day of expert witnesses. He has not been present in the courtroom while his doctors and experts have detailed his health problems.
Paltrow is expected to be called to testify on Friday or early next week, when the eight-day trial continues.
The proceedings thus far have touched on themes ranging from skiers etiquette to the power and burden of celebrity. The amount of money at stake for both sides pales in comparison to the typical legal costs of a multiyear lawsuit and expert witness-heavy trial. Sandersons attorney told the jury Thursday that this trial is about value, not cost.
The first two days of trial featured attorneys arguing about whether Sanderson or Paltrow was further down the slope during the collision a disagreement rooted in a Skiers Responsibility Code that gives whoever is downhill the right of way. Sandersons attorneys and expert medical witnesses described how his injuries were likely caused by someone crashing into him from behind. They attributed noticeable changes in Sandersons mental acuity to injuries from that day.
Paltrows attorneys have tried to represent Sanderson as a 76-year-old whose decline followed a normal course of aging rather than the results of a crash. They have not yet called witnesses of their own to testify, but in opening statements previewed for jurors that they plan to call Paltrows husband Brad Falchuk and her two children, Moses and Apple, to the stand.
