Hours after an eight-person jury decided Gwyneth Paltrow was not at fault for a 2016 Utah ski collision that a man claims caused him brain damage, one jury member has spoken out about why the actress won.
Samantha Imrie told ABC News she was convinced Paltrow, 50, was telling the truth and she believed the story told by 76-year-old retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, who was suing Paltrow for $US300,000 (approx. $450,000) in damages, was “distorted”.
“I think there was, in the back of my mind, yes, this woman’s an actress and I took that into account, but I didn’t feel she had a reason to lie under oath,” Imrie, 31, said in an interview after the verdict was delivered on Thursday (Friday in Australia). “She’s always in the spotlight so she always has to be honest.”
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“It’s important that the public doesn’t just think that this was a win because Gwyneth’s a celebrity. I mean, this is based on the evidence. This is based on the law,” Imrie said.
While Imrie, who is a nurse, says she does believe Sanderson’s story was “distorted”, she also says she doesn’t mean that she thinks he was lying.
”He was telling his truth and I think unfortunately some of that has been distorted due to some other factors, but I do think he did not intend to tell a truth that wasn’t his truth,” Imrie said.
Imrie said that she did change her mind multiple times over the trial, but photographic evidence showing Sanderson travelling the world after the crash didn’t help his case, in her opinion.
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What ultimately pushed Imrie to side with Paltrow was an expert who discussed the logistics of skiing on the stand, she said.
The jury delivered the verdict in the Utah judge after just over two hours of deliberation, with the trial starting on March 21. During the trial, Paltrow herself took to the witness stand to testify, as did Sanderson.
Ultimately, it was decided that Sanderson was to blame “100 per cent” for the collision, and Paltrow was awarded the requested $US1 (approx. $1.50) sum she sued over, plus legal fees.
Terry Sanderson speaks out after losing civil case against Gwyneth Paltrow
Sanderson has also spoken out after the jury’s decision, admitting he now believes the lawsuit, which was watched by millions worldwide, was not worth the trouble.
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Speaking with reporters outside the courtroom, Sanderson said he was “very disappointed” in the trial’s outcome, and said the trial, which saw his medical history exposed and emotional testimony from his ex-girlfriend and daughters, was “absolutely not” worth the hassle.
“Knowing that now, no,” Sanderson said of the viral trial and his private details being made public, according to Extra. “I joked about dating sites, right? It’s like, I’m gonna be on the internet forever.”
During the trial, Sanderson said on the stand: “Well I can never go on another dating site again. … It’s the pain of trying to sue a celebrity.”
Paltrow, meanwhile, opted not to speak outside the courtroom, but released a statement following the verdict.
”I felt that acquiescing to a false claim comprised my integrity,” Paltrow’s statement read.
“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.”
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