'Gwyneth vs Terry: The Ski Crash Trial' | Date, plot, and is the MAX documentary worth watching

The court case itself, while lacking the sheer brouhaha of Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard was still essential viewing.

BY DEAN WILLIAMS

PUBLISHED DEC 17, 2023

An animated Gwyneth Paltrow is seen giving testimony at a Park Cuty, Utah courthouse. Terry Sanderson (inset) sued Paltrow for $300,000 after a skiing collision. (Pic Credit: Getty Images)

PARK CITY, UTAH: Gwyneth Paltrow, a skiing calamity, and a furious optometrist: You could be forgiven for thinking this sounds like a plot to the latest bizarre streaming flop. But it isn't.

In 2016, the 'Shakespeare in Love' actress collided with optometrist Jerry Sanderson while they were skiing at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort. According to Sanderson, the collision resulted in "four broken ribs, a concussion and lasting brain damage that affected his daily life and personal relationships". And so he took Paltrow to court, suing her for $300,000 (down from an original $3.1 million). Paltrow in turn partially channeled her inner Taylor Swift and countersued for $1 and legal fees.

PARK CITY, UT - MARCH 21: Actress Gwyneth Paltrow looks on before leaving the courtroom, where she i — Gwyneth Paltrow is seen in court at the trial

The court case itself, while lacking the sheer brouhaha, collective media orgasm, and social media bile-fest of Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard was still essential viewing. One week of prosecution and defense saw the jury take just a few hours to come to the conclusion that Sanderson was at fault, not Paltrow. How did teh tables turn so swiftly? Why did the jury decide the accuser should have been the accused? All this and more will be revealed, purportedly, on MAX's latest celeb-in-court documentary aptly though unimaginatively titled: 'Gwyneth vs Terry: The Ski Crash Trial'

PARK CITY, UTAH - MARCH 29: Terry Sanderson, the Utah man suing Gwyneth Paltrow, steps off the witn — Terry Sanderson seen in court during the trial

When and where does the documentary air?

'Gwyneth vs Terry: The Ski Crash Trial' airs on December 18 on MAX, you can put down the moolah here to watch it.

Should you watch it?

Well quite honestly, unless you've been living under a rock the outcome of the documentary is hardly going to be a nail-biter. But what is interesting is the case itself, and Paltrow's demeanor as compared to Sanderson's. The arguments themselves should appeal to skiers hoping to avoid collisions of their own, and are rather interesting. But on the whole, unless your celebrity voyeur instinct is in particularly high gear or you're a true 'crime'/legal buff, you won't be missing much if you give it a miss.