Why Do We Love When Stars Go to Court?

Guilty as charged! That is, of following every single detail of the trials and fates that befall the rich and famous. Us breaks down why

- MOLLY MCGUIGAN

We trace our favorite A-lister’s every move, whether it’s their new brand deal, latest movie, “candid” selfie or even what they’re having for breakfast. But when a star heads to court, it captures the public’s fascination in unprecedented ways. Don’t believe Us? Take the 503,000 results that appear when you Google “Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial” as proof. But what is it about celebs appearing before the law that drives our rabid, voyeuristic obsession? “Celebrity trials offer a rare, unscripted look into the lives of people who usually exist behind a polished media persona,” Joe Tacopina, a defense attorney who has represented celeb clients like Michael Jackson and A$AP Rocky, tells Us. “Courtrooms are great equalizers — status, fame and wealth don’t exempt anyone from due process.”

Paltrow had her day in court in 2023 when she was sued for an alleged ski hit-and-run that occurred on a Utah mountain in 2016. Absent a plea deal, no amount of privilege, money, publicists or clout could get the actress out of appearing in what essentially became a meme-ified trial (and a literal musical). And that’s a huge part of the appeal. “Seeing a star in a courtroom instead of a luxury car instantly levels the playing field,”