Most polite ‘F—you’ in legal history? Gwyneth Paltrow whispers to man who sued her after winning case

As the decision was passed down handing actress and health guru Gwyneth Paltrow a win in her ski crash case, she paused on the way out of the courtroom to whisper in the ear of plaintiff optometrist Terry Sanderson, “I wish you well.”

(Video Credit: The Guardian)

The dejected optometrist replied, “Thank you, dear.”

The sentiment from Paltrow has been dubbed the most gracious “f*** you” in US legal history, according to the Daily Mail.

She won $1 in damages plus legal costs that could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars after jurors ruled that Sanderson was “100%” to blame for the crash at the Deer Valley Utah ski resort seven years ago.

The verdict was rendered in just two hours and 20 minutes by the jury Thursday night following eight days of grueling testimony.

Some on social media thought that Paltrow was being magnanimous by telling Sanderson she wished him well. But many thought it was a parting shot at the optometrist.

“We are now consciously uncoupled. I want my $1 in cash,” one person joked on Twitter, using the term that Paltrow used when splitting from her first husband Chris Martin.

“Standing by for the I Wish You Well Goop vagina candle,” another person tweeted.

“‘I wish you well’ works on two levels. The gracious gesture to a defeated opponent. But also the ‘f**k you’ subtext,” a critic noted.

Let me decipher this for you all. Gwyneth saying, ‘I wish you well,’ is very calculated, a big f**k you, and something she hand selected with the same care she displays when selecting her next eye cream to try,” someone else stated.

“Gwyneth Paltrow whispering ‘I wish you well’ to the guy who sued her and lost is pure troll behaviour, iconic,” one commenter remarked.

Still another person tweeted, “That’s cold blooded.”

Sanderson claims to have lasting brain damage from the accident. He originally wanted $3 million but settled for $300,000 in damages in the suit after a judge told him he could not call the incident a hit-and-run ski crash. He didn’t get that amount in the end either and will instead wind up paying massive fees himself.

The accident happened in 2016. He did not sue until three years after the accident, claiming that he was impaired at the time.

Paltrow is worth an estimated $200 million. She claims it was the principle of the thing and that is why she didn’t just write a check to make it go away.

As the verdict was read, Paltrow nodded at the judge and then at the jury in appreciation.

Paltrow’s attorney, Stephen Owens, read from a statement, “We’re pleased with the outcome and appreciate the judge and jury’s consideration. Gwyneth has a history of standing up for what’s right and this situation is no different. She will continue to stand up for what’s right.”

“I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity,” Paltrow said in a statement. “I am pleased with the outcome and I appreciate all of the hard work of Judge Holmberg and the jury, and thank them for their thoughtfulness in handling this case.”

Sanderson is still standing by his version of events despite losing in court.

The trial took place in Park City, which is a ski resort town known for hosting the annual Sundance Film Festival, where early in her career Paltrow appeared for the premieres of her movies including 1998’s “Sliding Doors.” It is home turf for the actress and she is known well there.

Others lined up to snark over the exchange:

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