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Few celebrity-adjacent scandals have garnered as much continuous press as Gwyneth Paltrow's skiing accident at Deer Valley Resort in Utah back in 2016, when retired optometrist Terry Sanderson claimed that the actress collided with him on the slopes and left him injured.
Three years later, in 2019, Sanderson sued Paltrow, seeking $3.1 million in damages. In a stunning move that still makes folks chuckle, Paltrow symbolically countersued for a $1, claiming that Sanderson caused the accident and forced her to miss a day of skiing, a "very costly" inconvenience.
The case went to trial in March 2023, drawing a ton of media attention for a few reasons: Paltrow's star power, the absurdity of the whole argument (which many found hilarious) and, of course, the actress' signature vibe throughout it all—her super-chill attitude and top-tier trial outfits.
In the end, the jury sided with Paltrow and awarded her $1, adding an extra layer of comedy to the entire affair.
Clearly, the skiing incident—now a global sensation—still resonates with the masses: Gwyneth Goes Skiing, a musical comedy about the scandal that had a run in London and Park City, is now playing at the SoHo Playhouse at 15 Vandam Street through Sunday. You can grab tickets right here.
Written by real-life couple Linus Karp and Joseph Martin (who also star as, respectively, Paltrow and Sanderson), the Off-Broadway production features songs by drag star Leland, remotely sung by Glee icon Darren Criss and Cat Cohen. Drag queen Trixie Mattel make also makes a cameo as Paltrow’s mom, Blythe Danner.
Speaking of which, although the scandal became iconic for just about anyone with an Internet connection, it quickly became legend within the LGBTQ community.
"When a blonde Hollywood star enters a small-town district court in the Utah mountains, with the glamour, grace, and goopiness that she did, the queers have no choice but to stan—and will appreciate the moment better than any straight person ever could, no offense," Karp and Martin told Page Six via email.
Gwyneth Paltrow going skiing is, clearly, the gift that keeps on giving.