WATCH: The jury has spoken after Gwyneth Paltrow won the civil ski crash trial
One of the jurors in Gwyneth Paltrow’s skiing trial is speaking to an ABC News exclusive for the first time after siding with the A-list actress on Thursday.
The jury sided with the actor and Goop CEO in a unanimous decision, concluding that Paltrow was not at fault in a 2016 collision between her and retired optometrist Terry Sanderson on a Utah ski slope.
Samantha Imrie is jury No. 11 at trial.
“The whole thing was a little surprising to me,” the 31-year-old told ABC News.
Imrie said he changed his opinion several times as the trial unfolded but after the eight-person jury began deliberating, it took them only a few hours to reach the same decision.
He said he found Paltrow’s testimony convincing.
“I think there was, in the back of my mind, yes, this woman’s an actress and I took that into account, but I didn’t feel she had a reason to lie under oath,” said Imrie. “She’s always in the spotlight so she has to be honest.”
MORE: Jury sides with Gwyneth Paltrow in ski crash trial
When it comes to Sanderson, Imrie said, “He’s telling his truth and unfortunately, some of that has been distorted for some other reasons, but I don’t think he intended to tell a truth that wasn’t his truth .”
In the end, Imrie said he felt that expert witnesses, such as Dr. Irving Scher, who testified on Paltrow’s behalf, helped her come to a conclusion.
“He’s an expert in snow sports in many different ways. I think the fact that Dr. Scher can speak to settings as well and that he’s specifically studied snow science, that he has a stronger opinion,” Imrie said.
He said social media photos of Sanderson traveling around the world following the 2016 accident also didn’t help the case. Sanderson said the collision between her and Paltrow left her with “severe brain damage.”
“I think I wrote down, ‘Wow, I need to make some more money so I can go travel this way.’ I didn’t think he could do those things based on the picture painted.”
MORE: Terry Sanderson, the man who sued Gwyneth Paltrow over 2016 ski crash, testifies in civil trial
And even though this high-profile case involved Paltrow, a celebrity, Imrie said her training as a nurse helped her focus on the facts of the case and not who was involved.
“I think it’s important that the public doesn’t just think it’s a win because Gwyneth is a celebrity. I mean, it’s based on evidence. It’s based on the law,” she said. “I do work in medicine and you have to look at everyone the same. So I think that should apply in the courtroom as well.”
Sanderson had asked for $300,000 in damages but instead had to pay Paltrow $1 in “symbolic damages” and pay her attorneys’ fees and costs.
