Gwyneth Paltrow Trial: Daughter Apple Martin Says Mom Was "Shaken Up" After Ski Crash

Apple Martin and Moses Martin had their voices heard in their mom's civil trial.
 
As part of a lawsuit against Gwyneth Paltrow over an alleged 2016 hit-and-run ski accident at a Utah resort, her kids Apple, 18, and Moses, 16—whom she shares with ex Chris Martin—had their depositions read in court on March 28.

In the suit, the Goop founder is being accused of skiing into retired optometrist Terry Sanderson and leaving the scene, with the crash occurring during a family vacation in which Paltrow's kids and now-husband Brad Falchuk were present. (Watch the livestream above.)

Apple, who was skiing downhill from her mom at the time of the collision, remembered hearing a noise and said in her deposition, "I did hear some commotion, but I was further down, so I decided to continue to go down to the lodge."  

She recalled talking about the crash with Paltrow over lunch. "She came in, and she immediately…I noticed that she looked a bit shocked," Apple said, according to a stand-in who read the deposition aloud in court. "And I asked what had happened and she said, 'This a-hole ran into me. He ran right into my back.' And I remember she did this motion, saying that he ran into her back and they both went down."

Apple added, "She was in a state of shock, and she decided after that she was not going to ski for the rest of the day, which she never does. She always stays on. But she decided to get off because she was in shock and she was in a bit of pain."

Apple said she was concerned about her mother, because "I never see her really like shaken up like that. And she was very clearly visibly upset and she had some sort of pain... I remember that's why she went to the spa to get a massage."

Paltrow's lawyers say Moses was closer to the actress at the time of the crash. His deposition offered his recollection of events that day on the slopes.

"I recall skiing with my instructor and briefly seeing the collision," Moses said in his deposition, which was read aloud in court by another stand-in. "Then he skied over and I followed him. And I saw my mother and a person behind her... who had crashed."

Moses later said, "I realized the equipment that she was wearing because I know what she wears when she skis and then I realized that it was my mom. So I was standing around and I realized that it was my mother."

He said that after he skied over, he heard Paltrow "yelling at the guy... She was saying something along the lines of 'What the f-word? You just ran into me.'"

Apple and Moses were expected to testify in person on March 27. Instead, their depositions were read four days after Paltrow herself took the stand, recalling that the trip was a meaningful one to her family.

"[This] was the first time Brad and I were introducing our kids," she said in court on March 24. "And doing something together as to see if we could blend families."

During her testimony, the actress also said that when Sanderson allegedly crashed into her, she thought for a moment that it was a sexual assault due to the impact.

"That was a quick thought that went through my head when I was trying to reconcile what was happening," Paltrow said. "Two skis came between my skis, forcing my legs apart, and then there was a body pressing against me and there was a very strange grunting noise."
 
She added, "My brain was trying to make sense of what was happening. I thought, 'Is this a practical joke? Is someone, like, doing something perverted? This is really really strange.' My mind was going very very quickly and I was trying to ascertain what was happening."
 
Paltrow, 50, then clarified that she was not accusing Sanderson, 76, of sexual assault.

The retired optometrist filed a lawsuit against Paltrow in 2019, alleging in his complaint that the Oscar winner was skiing down a beginner-level slope when they collided.

In court documents obtained by E! News at the time, Sanderson alleged Paltrow skied into him, causing him to fall "down hard, causing a brain surgery, four broken ribs and other injuries." He further alleged "severe psychological problems including fear, anxiety and depression," as a result of the incident.

In a countersuit, Paltrow claimed that Sanderson was the one who collided into her and "blamed her for it in an attempt to exploit her celebrity and wealth." 

"She was enjoying skiing with her family on vacation in Utah, when Plaintiff—who was uphill from Ms. Paltrow—plowed into her back," her filing read. "She sustained a full 'body blow.' Ms. Paltrow was angry with Plaintiff, and said so. Plaintiff apologized."

According to NBC News, Sanderson is suing Paltrow for $300,000, an amount that has decreased from his first request of $3.1 million. As for Paltrow, according to court documents, she is countersuing Sanderson for "only symbolic damages in the amount of $1, plus her costs and attorneys' fees to defend this meritless claim."

(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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