Terry Sanderson has apologised to Gwyneth Paltrow after he previously described her as being like “King Kong” when they collided on the ski slopes.
The retired doctor, who has accused Paltrow of crashing into him on a ski slope in 2016, was asked about previous comments he had made about the incident when he was brought back to the stand in court on Wednesday (March 29).
The actor’s lawyer asked Sanderson about comments where he said Paltrow was like “King Kong”, which were made during a press conference in January 2019. At the event, he told reporters that he “heard this just hysterical screaming like… King Kong in the jungle or something”.
Sanderson clarified his intentions behind the remark, saying (via People): “That was not my intention…. I dispute my intentions. I meant to say King Kong just chased somebody out of the jungle. That’s what I meant.”
When his attorney asked Sanderson to clarify what he meant by the comment, he turned to Paltrow in the courtroom, saying: “My apologies to Ms. Paltrow, because my intention was, got twisted up in my intentions, was to say it sounded like a lady getting chased by King Kong out of the jungle. It was that kind of ‘I’m really scared’ [noise].”
He added that it was the “very best hysterical scream you’ve ever heard”.
Sanderson is suing Paltrow for $300,000 (£242,150), claiming that her “reckless” behaviour caused the crash and left him with severe injuries; including four broken ribs and a permanent brain injury.
During her testimony last week (March 24), Paltrow denied she engaged in “risky behaviour” and said she initially thought the incident was a “practical joke”.
Paltrow is seeking $1 (£0.82) in damages, in addition to legal fees, in a countersuit.
The jury will begin deliberations in the civil trial on Thursday (March 30) after closing statements from both sides.
