Names and faces

Names and faces

• The not-so-secret baby shower for the Duchess of Sussex has apparently occurred, with Gayle King and Amal Clooney among an intimate group of friends who gathered at a swanky hotel on Manhattan's Upper East Side Wednesday. The smiling Meghan Markle has been surrounded by fans and photographers since news of her whirlwind trip to the city surfaced Monday. She has been spotted at several locations, including The Mark Hotel, the Met Breuer museum and Ralph Lauren's The Polo Bar, with decor that celebrates one of Prince Harry's favorite sports. The 37-year-old duchess, who announced the pregnancy in October, is due in late April. Abigail Spencer, a co-star on Meghan's former TV show Suits, was among old friends in town to fete the upcoming birth. Also out and about with Meghan: Serena Williams, Jessica Mulroney and Markus Anderson.

• In a court filing, Gwyneth Paltrow said that the man accusing her in a lawsuit of crashing into him at a Utah ski resort was actually the culprit in the collision and is trying to exploit her celebrity and wealth. Paltrow was skiing with her children and friends in 2016 during a family vacation on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, when Terry Sanderson smashed into her from behind and delivered a full "body blow,' the actress' attorney alleged in a counter claim filed Wednesday. Paltrow said she was shaken by the collision and quit skiing for the day. She said Sanderson apologized and said he was fine, her response to Sanderson's lawsuit said. Paltrow previously denied blame for the crash in a statement but had not offered a full version of the events. "She did not knock him down," Paltrow's court filing said. "He knocked her down. He was not knocked out." Paltrow, known for her roles in Shakespeare in Love and the Iron Man movies and her lifestyle company named goop, said her injuries were minor and that she is seeking "symbolic damages" of $1 plus costs for her lawyers' fees. She said Sanderson made a "meritless claim" in his suit, which accused Paltrow of skiing out of control and knocking him out, leaving him with a concussion and four broken ribs. It referred to the crash as a "hit and run." Both Sanderson's lawsuit and Paltrow's response cite an incident report filed by a Deer Valley ski instructor, who was skiing with Paltrow's 9-year-old son. He said Sanderson was uphill and hit Paltrow from behind. But the instructor said in his report said he did not actually see the collision and only heard Paltrow scream and hit the ground. He did not explain how he knew that Sanderson caused the collision. In his lawsuit, Sanderson accused the instructor of filing a false report.

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AP/KEVIN HAGEN

Meghan Markle, duchess of Sussex, arrives Tuesday at a Manhattan Hotel.

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Invision

Gwyneth Paltrow

A Section on 02/22/2019

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