Gwyneth Paltrow in a Utah court. She is being sued and countersuing for a skiing accident in 2016. (Image:AP)

Celebrity-coated ski slopes never gray. Back in the 90’s Ivana Trump had a run-in with Marla Maples over a Donald affair. Decades later, 2016 maintained the downhill slalom when Gwyneth Paltrow collided with an optometrist. Now they’re in court and everyone is either talking about her outfits or bone broth.

The Washington Post likes Goop-founder’s après-ski turtleneck. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)

They also debased a scientist to the level of a schoolgirl.

Too bad gossip and revulsion do not alleviate concussions or biases toward women in STEM.

Gwyneth Paltrow collided with another skier at the Deer Valley Resort in Utah. Apparently, a dispute remains about who ran into whom, the extent of injuries and covering medical expenses.

In a recorded deposition, neuropsychologist and entrepreneur Alina Fong, PhD testified about treating the plaintiff, Terry Sanderson, MD, for post-concussion syndrome (PCS). Then, the “red herring” exploded while Dr. Fong tried to clarify and, frankly, school the defense about science. The tension rose when Ms. Paltrow’s attorney pushed to discredit Dr. Fong, including questioning her postdoctoral training. To be fair, he was doing his job. On the contrary, it is not the task of Court TV to belittle a woman in STEM, basically labeling her cutesy, for asserting her expertise.

The Spunky Scientist

Both male and female analysts referred to Dr. Fong as “spunky”. A co-founder. Of a neuromedical company and PhD holder. As spunky. Not direct or resolute. Not adroit or courageous.

One (female) reporter referred to her as a “passionate woman” after hearing Dr. Fong insist that unconsciousness does not occur in 90% of concussion cases. That’s just another designation for emotional.

Dr. Alina Fong in a deposition for Ms. Paltrow’s ski accident case as streamed by Court TV on March 23, 2023. Fong mentions red herring about unconsciousness and concussions around 1:42:00. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)

Dr. Fong’s work focuses on conditions like PCS. Her company Cognitive Fx innovates diagnosing and treating the subtle disparities in brain health after injury that lead to major problems. They do this with a specialized imaging technology, Functional NeuroCognitive ImagingTM. They personalize causes of traumatic brain injury (TBI) by analyzing vascular and cortical disruptions. This strategy provides more effective treatment, so that PCS and TBI might be reversed. They point out that in concussions or other TBIs, blood flow and neural activity may be “uncoupled”, which develops into deficiencies in cognition and corporeal activities.

The Science

Dr. Sanderson claims that Ms. Paltrow ran into him with such force that the resulting concussion led to long-term injuries. Brain injuries seeped into cognitive and emotional abilities, preventing him from living his normal life. He apparently forgot where he was despite visiting the location many times before. Furthermore, it was observed that Dr. Sanderson’s emotional and cognitive demeanor changed after the accident. His daughter and others were questioned to establish his anger levels and tendencies.

The importance of concussion research, diagnosis, and treatment can be best understood through football. The likelihood of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) and TBI (traumatic brain injury) increases with the number and severity of concussions experienced by football players. The impact, recurring or one powerful, determines brain injury.

PCS can last for years after the initial concussion in up to 15% of people injured. Though a regular doctor’s check-up will seldom diagnose PCS, fatigue, impaired memory and anxiety are common symptoms. These manifestations are better recognized with imaging and expertise in both scientific research and medicine.

In fact, a 2023 report found that a significantly higher percentage of advanced skiers do not have their concussions medically diagnosed, which leads to underreporting. Unless the person is knocked out or something more severe, they will not be at the hospital or similar and thus the injury will not be incorporated into concussion data. Not seeing a specialist or receiving medical care after a fall on the slopes and having a concussion usually leads to more brain trauma in the future. Those who continue with activity immediately after the fall or collision are more susceptible to this.

Bottom Line

There are a lot of coulda, woulda, shouldas in this case. Analysts could have said “the defense tried to break Dr. Wong’s testimony, but she held firm and championed her work”. The situation would have been avoided if skiers were more aware of their surroundings. Paltrow should have showed a bit more sympathy toward Dr. Sanderson. He had 4 broken ribs in addition to the head injury.

Overall, GP looked quite uncomfortable, like a child exuding “why am I even here”. Her lawyer stated a problem with the cameras on Ms. Paltrow. (Johnny Depp and amber Heard had court cameras on them constantly, so it is unclear which factors grant special treatment to Paltrow). Maybe compassion is not at the forefront of her “wellness” as coffee enemas are. It is unclear if she will do a court ootd on Goop or advise her followers on how to detox from a lawsuit.

Ms. Paltrow is countersuing for $1 and attorneys fees. Dr. Sanderson can’t go wine-tasting anymore.