Gwyneth Paltrow arrived in court yesterday for her trial over a 2016 ski crash looking like she’d had ‘a status and confidence glow-up,’ body language expert Judi James has said.
Paltrow, 50, appeared in court for the second day of her trial on Wednesday where she stands accused of crashing into Terry Sanderson, 76, on the beginner’s run at the exclusive Deer Valley resort in Utah on February 26, 2016.
The Oscar-winning actress nodded gently and wrote what looked like notes as she watched her lawyers speak in her defense, arguing that Paltrow did not hit Sanderson and she was the victim of the crash instead.
Body language expert Judi James told MailOnline that Paltrow’s note taking and her decision to adopt a ‘superiority pose’ in which she raised her chin high and looked down her nose, meant she ‘often looked like a member of the legal team herself’.
Throughout the day, her body language fluctuated between ‘confidence splaying’ and more ‘vulnerable self-diminishing’ – before she eventually adopting a ‘Classic A-List’ pose where she appeared confident and in control.
Here, Judi James analyzes Paltrow’s body language on the second day of her trial for MailOnline.
Paltrow, 50, appeared in court for the second day of her trial on Wednesday (pictured)
Terry Sanderson, 76, (pictured in court on Tuesday) sued the Oscar-winning actress in January 2019 and alleged she crashed into the back of him and abandoned the scene of the beginner’s run at the exclusive Deer Valley resort in Utah on February 26 2016
Body language expert Judi James (pictured) told MailOnline that Paltrow’s note taking and her decision to adopt a ‘superiority pose’ in which she raised her chin high and looked down her nose, meant she ‘often looked like a member of the legal team herself’
Superiority pose and confidence glow up
As Paltrow entered the courtroom yesterday to face down Sanderson, who is suing the actress for $300,000 over the 2016 ski crash, she looked like she’d had a ‘confidence glow-up’.
Wearing a cream cardigan and clutching a pen in her hand, Paltrow was seen speaking intently to a man as she walked into the courtroom and moved to her seat.
James said: ‘In her cream, corporate-chic cardigan and with her pen clutched in her hand, Paltrow arrived in court on day two looking like she’d had a status and confidence glow-up.
‘Her body language looked buoyant and she made her entrance mid-conversation, walking ahead of a man with her neck twisted backward to ensure she could continue the chat.
‘Apparently immersed in this conversation it was Paltrow using the hand gesticulation, including her pen, to suggest she was the one making confident points.
While she was listening to the courtroom proceedings, Paltrow also adopted a ‘superiority pose where she raises her chin high, her eyebrows higher and looks down her nose while pursing her lips,’ James said
Paltrow then walked across the court room, her large bag hanging over her arm, and made her way to her seat
‘She barely glanced into the courtroom as she arrived, which is a rare and rather counter-intuitive gesture as humans usually have a need to eye-scan inspect new territory or new people as they arrive in a room or group so the hint was again that Paltrow was feeling in a confident mood.’
Paltrow then walked across the court room, her large bag hanging over her arm, and made her way to her seat.
‘There was a faint asymmetric smile and then what is becoming a signature sucking in of the lower lip as she sat down, hinting that she was bracing herself for the day,’ James said.
While she was listening to the courtroom proceedings, Paltrow also adopted a ‘superiority pose where she raises her chin high, her eyebrows higher and looks down her nose while pursing her lips,’ James said.
‘Nodding gently with her team’s points to the judge and writing what looked like notes during the evidence, she often looked like a member of the legal team herself, especially when she wore or looked over her glasses.’
Classic A-list
Following the break, Paltrow walked into the courtroom confidently and adopted a ‘more classic A-List pose’, James said.
Paltrow’s head was high as she walked in holding a bottle containing green juice in one arm and walking amidst her legal team.
James said: ‘Paltrow arrived after the break in a more classic A-list pose, cradling a large green bottle in one arm and walking in the midst of her legal team.
‘When she sat down she wiped her nose with her fingers and then the back of her hand as though prepping mentally for the next session.’
Pictured: Gwyneth Paltrow in a social media post the year before the accident at Deer Valley resort in Utah. She captioned the post: ’20 years later and I still got it #justlikeridingabike’
Confidence splaying
During day-two of her trial, Paltrow, who claims it was Sanderson who crashed into her rather than the other way round, appeared confident at points.
She fiddled with her hair and at one stage raised her arms upwards as though to create a ponytail. It allowed Paltrow to raise her elbows and bare her armpits.
While playing with ones hair can be a sign of vulnerability, by showing her armpits, James says this can be a sign of ‘splaying and confidence’.
She said: ‘Hair-fiddling can be another self-comfort ritual but here it also allowed for the elbows to be raised and the armpits to be bared.
‘Pit-baring can be a gesture of splaying and confidence – as when someone at work sits with their hands behind their head and elbows splayed out when they are talking to you in a meeting – and to sit with this gesture aimed forward did suggest just that.’
During day-two of her trial, Paltrow, who claims it was Sanderson who crashed into her rather than the other way round, appeared confident at points
The trial over the incident at Deer Valley Resort (pictured) began yesterday at Park City District Court
At the end of the session, Paltrow appeared to be ready to go home and there was no apparent desire to cover her face with her folder – as she had done on the first day of the trial.
‘Again, Paltrow looked as though she aimed to be like the one that can’t wait to be first out of class when the bell goes,’ James said.
‘She even seemed to pause twice on the way out just to check. There was no apparent desire to conceal her face or hide behind her folder on day two though. Wearing a polite smile, she kept that folder held down at her side here.’
Vulnerable self-diminishing
While Paltrow did show confidence at points of the second day of the trial, there were points where she appeared nervous and vulnerable.
‘Her body language fluctuated between confident splaying and more vulnerable self-diminishing,’ James said.
‘Like day one there were some other self-preparation rituals, including a small wipe of her top lip.’
James added that at points Paltrow quickly blinked, which suggests she was nervous.
‘There was some rapid blinking that might suggest inner tension or anxiety beneath the often poised-looking exterior, plus some squirming in her seat to hint at discomfort caused by the positioning of the cameras that her team were raising,’ James said.
While Paltrow did show confidence at points of the second day of the trial, there were points where she appeared nervous and vulnerable
During the hearing, Paltrow listened to evidence and rested her chin on her hand before sucking in her lips.
Paltrow adopted a listening pose that suggesting some distancing as she leant away with her right hand on the desk and her left propping her chin and face,’ James said.
‘There was a moment of what looked like evaluation as her fingers were placed up the side of her face and she sucked her lips in.’
James added: ‘At some points she sat hunched in her seat, reading from papers in front of her on the desk, or she sat back with her arms folded across her waist in a self-hug barrier ritual.’
Paltrow also played with her hair, by smoothing it down and pulling it back from her face.
‘She spent time performing emphatic hand rituals with her hair, pulling it back with both hands and smoothing it.’
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