Gwyneth Paltrow wishes gal pal Amy Griffin a happy birthday… amid her much-talked about trial

Gwyneth Paltrow took to Instagram on Tuesday to wish her gal pal Amy Griffin a happy birthday in a gushing Instagram post.

The Talented Mr. Ripley star, 50, shared a candid selfie of the two of them in an outdoors setting to her Stories, with both the ladies sporting chic turtleneck sweaters.   

‘Happy birthday to this absolute angel,’ she wrote, adding, ‘Amy, you are grace and strength personified. I adore you.’ 

Both Paltrow and Griffin appeared to go makeup-free for the friendly snap, with the actress wearing her blonde tresses styled in light waves. 

The post comes amid day six of Paltrow’s Utah ski crash trial, where her attorney read statements from her children Apple, 18, and Moses, 16, about the 2016 collision that allegedly left retired optometrist, 76, Terry Sanderson with a brain injury.  

In the courtroom Paltrow wore black leather culottes, a pink blouse with an 80s-style oversized necktie and sat with her lawyers sipping green juice from a bottle. 

The resort where she allegedly hit Sanderson ‘covered up her bad conduct’ because of her celebrity, it was claimed at the proceedings. 

Attorneys for Sanderson – who’s suing Paltrow for $300,000 – accused Deer Valley Resort in Utah of pandering to the actress because she was a ‘big spender’ who blew $8,980 on ski lessons for her children. 

They claimed in court that the resort gave a ‘wink and a nod’ to her hitting Mr Sanderson by saying it was his fault in a report from the crash scene. 

The allegations were denied by a manager for Deer Valley, and the ski instructor who was first on the scene.

The retired optometrist claims he suffered four broken ribs and a permanent brain injury that has dramatically changed his personality for the worse.

Apple was the final witness to appear – though not in person – as her testimony was read by one of Paltrow’s lawyers.

Apple told the court the first she knew of the collision was when an angry Paltrow arrived at the lodge 10 minutes later, ranting that an ‘a hole’ had skied into her.

On trial: The post comes amid day six of Paltrow’s Utah ski crash trial, over a 2016 collision that allegedly left retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, 76, with a brain injury

Courtroom style: In the courtroom Paltrow wore black leather culottes, a pink blouse with an 80s-style oversized necktie and sat with her lawyers sipping green juice from a bottle

Tough: Attorneys for Sanderson – who’s suing Paltrow for $300,000 – accused Deer Valley Resort in Utah of pandering to the actress because she was a ‘big spender’

She said: ‘My mom told me. She told us what happened. She came in and she looked a bit shocked. She said this a hole ran into me, right into my back. She did this motion showing how it happened.’

Apple said the collision was discussed at lunch, with Paltrow reiterated she had been skied into and was hit. She added: ‘She decided to get off which she never does but she was in shock. I never see her really shaken up like that. She was clearly, visibly upset and she was in a little bit of pain. That’s why she went to the spa to get a massage.’ 

Meanwhile Moses said he didn’t see the collision and was skiing with his instructor Eric, in his statement.

He said of what he saw: ‘I saw my mother and a person behind her who had crashed. When I skied over, I heard my mom yelling at the guy. She was saying something along the lines of “what the f word? You just ran into me”.’

He said his mother had been on the ground for around two minutes following the crash but got up by herself.

Although the children did not appear in person, Paltrow’s attorney Steven Owens said her husband Brad Falchuk, 52, may still be called before the trial ends at noon on Thursday. 

The court was also shown a short animation which showed the moment of impact as described by Paltrow.

It showed Sanderson hitting Paltrow from the back left, the two sliding together a short distance and collapsing on the right in a ‘spooning’ position.

Supporting mom: Paltrow’s attorney read statements from her children Apple, 18, and Moses, 16, at the trial, though the children did not appear in person

Testimony: Apple told the court the first she knew of the collision was when an angry Paltrow arrived at the lodge 10 minutes later, ranting that an ‘a hole’ had skied into her 

Could appear: Paltrow’s attorney said her husband Brad Falchuk, 52, may be called before the trial ends at noon on Thursday; Pictured 2019

Sanderson’s lawyers objected to inclusion of the animation because it ‘distorts reality’ but the judge allowed it in for demonstrative purposes.

Paltrow is counter suing for a token $1 plus legal fees in the case which her lawyers say is ‘total BS’.

The trial is expected to continue until the end of the week.