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Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial has drawn in nearly 30 million viewers across YouTube and social media platforms. The eight-day saga was covered extensively by major media outlets. It was disseminated in viral clips and memes all over the internet, making it one of the most-watched trials in recent times. The Law and Crime Network, which streamed the trial live on its YouTube page, saw 16.5 million people tuning in to the live stream. At the same time, another 7.4 million viewed the event on Facebook, and another 4.2 million consumed proceedings involving the Oscar winner on TikTok. The Paltrow trial was centered around claims brought by Terry Sanderson, a retired optometrist who said the Goop founder skied into him on a Utah ski slope in 2016.
The Impact of the Paltrow Trial
The Paltrow trial’s massive viewership is a significant boon for the Law and Crime Network. It now ranks among the top-performing trials ever broadcast by the network, alongside the infamous Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard case and the prosecution of figures like Alex Jones. The Paltrow trial’s success also shows the increasing fascination with celebrities in court.
Rachel Stockman, the Law, and Crime Network president, said, “If no celebrity hadn’t been involved, no one would have cared. Honestly, viewers would have found the details quite uneventful in this civil suit. For this trial, however, we saw the opposite, with viewers hanging on to every nugget.”
Juror Explains Why Paltrow Won
A Paltrow ski accident trial juror, Samantha Imrie, opened up to ABC News about the jury’s unanimous decision in favor of the Oscar-winning actor. She said it only took a couple of hours for the jury to reach its verdict, although her mind changed sides repeatedly during the trial. Terry Sanderson, a 76-year-old retired optometrist, sued Paltrow for $300,000, alleging that in 2016, the actor skied into him at a Deer Valley ski resort in Utah and left him with a concussion, four broken ribs, and a brain injury.
Paltrow then countersued $1 and attorney’s fees, and the jury sided with her, awarding her a symbolic $1 in damages. Under Utah law, the downhill skier has the right of way, and Paltrow and Sanderson claimed they were the downhill skier. Imrie said that Paltrow’s testimony was more convincing. Part of what tipped the jury in favor of Paltrow was Dr. Irving Scher, who testified on Paltrow’s behalf and used a scientific approach to explain how Sanderson crashed into the actor.
Importance of the Verdict
Imrie believes it’s important that the public doesn’t just think this was a win because Gwyneth is a celebrity. She emphasized that the decision was based on the evidence and the law. She said, “I think it’s important that the public doesn’t just think this was a win because Gwyneth is a celebrity. This is based on the evidence, and this is based on the law. I work in medicine, and you have to look at everyone equally. That should apply in the courtroom as well.”
Paltrow’s trial was one of the most-watched events of the year, with nearly 30 million people tuning in to watch the proceedings across various social media platforms. Although the trial’s verdict was in favor of Paltrow, the juror emphasized that the decision was based on the evidence presented and the law and not because of Paltrow’s
