How Taylor Swift Got Dragged Into Gwyneth Paltrow's Court Case

The Goop founder testified yesterday in a trial over a 2016 skiing accident.

Gwyneth Paltrow took the stand yesterday, Friday, March 24, where she testified in the trial over a skiing accident she was involved in back in 2016.

Inexplicably, the focus shifted to Taylor Swift during the Goop founder's questioning, leading the internet to make comparisons to the recent congressional hearing on TikTok, which was also full of seemingly irrelevant questions to the topic at hand.

In Paltrow's case, she's being sued by retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, 76, who has accused the 50-year-old actress of crashing into him in a "hit and run" style accident on a ski slope several years ago. He claims that she is responsible for a brain injury, four broken ribs, and emotional damage, and is seeking $300,000 in damages as a result.

In turn, the Iron Man actress has countersued Sanderson for $1, asserting that he collided with her.

Sound familiar?

In 2017, a disgraced radio DJ sued the touring artist for $3 million after he lost his job as a cohost in 2013 as a result of her claim that he'd slid his hand under her skirt and groped her butt during a meet-and-greet. Swift countersued him for sexual assault and battery, seeking—and winning—a symbolic single dollar in damages.

Sanderson's attorney noticed the connection and grilled Paltrow about her relationship with the "Anti-Hero" songstress, a moment which quickly went viral when one user uploaded a clip of the interaction to TikTok.

Lawyer Kristin VanOrman seemed confused, as during her previous deposition with Paltrow, the actress called the countersuit symbolic but, at the time, said that she was not familiar with Swift's case.

VanOrman found it hard to believe, repeating her line of questioning and leading the opposing council to question the relevance. Paltrow went on to explain that she was not familiar with the sexual assault trial at the time, but had since learned of it and its own symbolic damages.

"Are you good friends with Taylor Swift?" she asked next, to which Paltrow immediately replied, "No."

"You're not good friends with Taylor Swift?" VanOrman pushed, leading Paltrow to elaborate, “I would not say we’re good friends. We are friendly. I’ve taken my kids to one of her concerts before, but we don’t talk very often.”

Before the clip cut off, VanOrman seemed to make a reference to Goop’s 2021 holiday gift guide, in which Paltrow packed up giftbags for several celebrities, including Swift. “You’ve never given Ms. Swift personal, intimate gifts for Christmas?" she asked.

According to The Independent, Paltrow's lawyer once again questioned the relevance, which led to a shifting in the line in questioning.

It's unclear what point VanOrman was trying to make about the symbolism of Paltrow's countersuit, but TikTok was quick to start making jokes inspired by the equally viral hearing held this week where members of congress questioned TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew as they consider banning the app in America.

"Was Taylor Swift on the slopes that day???" one viewer wanted to know.

“Taylor swift has a song about a hit and run. Is that song from your perspective?” another wrote, referencing a fandom conspiracy theory about the song "Out of the Woods" while proposing another question for Paltrow.

"Does TikTok connect to your WiFi Gwyneth?" another asked, paraphrasing an actual question directed at Chew earlier this week.

"Not the plaintiff attorney trying to see if Gwyneth can hook her up with Eras tickets 😆," someone else joked.