Tiger Woods is back in the news, and this time, the golf legend is facing
new allegations from his ex-girlfriend Erica Herman. Woods and Herman first
sparked relationship rumors in 2017 after they were spotted at the President's Cup together.
Despite his celebrity status, Woods managed to keep his relationship with Herman out of
the public eye, with Herman making only a few appearances on his Instagram throughout
their time together. Nonetheless, the pair's relationship couldn't have been
better. A source told People in 2021, referencing Woods' two kids with his ex-wife Elin Nordegren,
"They live together at his house now ... The kids like her."
Woods and Herman's strong bond was also manifested following a February 2021 car
crash that left the pro golfer seriously injured. A source confirmed to Us Weekly,
"Erica dropped everything to be with Tiger the moment she
heard what happened. She's been by his bedside,
holding his hand and telling him everything's going to be OK. He's a champ and he's got this."
The insider also revealed how grateful Woods was to have such a strong support
system in Herman. The source added, quote, "he couldn't have asked for more in that regard."
These days, however, things have become fraught between the former couple — and
now, Herman is sharing some disturbing details of their long-term relationship.
In a new lawsuit filed on May 5th, Erica Herman accused Tiger Woods of
sexually assaulting her during their six-year relationship. In the lawsuit,
Herman claims the golf legend forced her to sign a non-disclosure agreement with threats
that he would fire her if she refused. At the time they started dating, Herman was
working at Woods' South Florida restaurant. Per the Daily Mail, part of the lawsuit read,
"A boss imposing different work conditions on
his employee because of their sexual relationship is sexual harassment."
But Herman's claims didn't stop there, as she also accused Woods of tricking her
out of their home after their breakup earlier this year. The filing added,
"And, when he became disgruntled with their sexual relationship,
he tricked her into leaving her home, locked her out, took her cash,
pets, and personal possessions, and tried to strong-arm her into signing a different NDA."
As of the making of this video, Woods has yet to respond to Herman's claims.
Herman's claims come only a few months after initially filing a lawsuit requesting to be
removed from the NDA she previously signed with Woods, as reported by People. Though
she made no mention of her latest claims, Herman subtly hinted at it by citing the Speak Out Act,
a law that allows for NDAs to be voided in the case of sexual harassment or assault.
Erica Herman's pursuit to nullify the 2017 nondisclosure agreement between her and
Tiger Woods has become quite complicated. Woods has made it clear that all conflicts should be
solved through confidential arbitration, per Golf Magazine. Herman's response,
which was delivered in a statement by her attorney Benjamin Hodas, asserted,
"Now, he wants to deny her access to the courts and put this case into secret arbitration,
based on a highly redacted document that he claims is a contract between them."
The legitimacy of the NDA has been questioned,
as Woods submitted a modified version of it in March. Due to its notable redactions,
the filing claims that it, quote, "cannot be a true and correct copy." As a result,
Hodas has requested that the motion be repudiated without an evidentiary hearing. On May 1st,
Woods' representative Rob McNamara, signed a declaration contending that Herman had supplied
evidence that she had signed the document. In the filing, it was noted that Herman, quote, "does not
recognize the form of the document in Exhibit 'A' [the NDA] and does not recall signing it."
Per Us Weekly, Woods described Herman's mention of the Speak Out Act as "a transparent abuse of
the judicial process that undermines the purpose of the federal statute and those
whom the statute seeks to protect." A source told the outlet that Herman is
"hoping [Woods] settles" before the case makes its way to court.
In light of Erica Herman's legal fight with Tiger Woods,
the golfer's ex Rachel Uchitel has spoken out. Per Entertainment Tonight, Uchitel said,
"I've obviously been in her shoes. We have something in common,
right? But she has an uphill battle in front of her."
She was candid about Herman's potential struggles, adding,
"I think that she has a lot of things ahead of her that she's gonna have to get through. You know,
Tiger's team is very ... he's got a lot of money. He has a machine behind him,
and she's just one person. So, she has a lot of work to do if she wants to prove a case."
Uchitel is no stranger to feeling trapped by nondisclosure agreements, as she signed an
extensive one for Woods in 2009 following their affair, per The New York Times. The document
prevented her from speaking to anyone at all about details of Woods including his, quote, "lifestyle,
proclivities, customs, private conduct, fitness, habits, sexual matters, familial matters." To
keep her lips sealed, she received $5 million and a promise of $1 million yearly for three
subsequent years. Uchitel revealed her immense frustrations with the binding agreement, saying,
"I've had it with N.D.A.s."
Ever since she signed the NDA, Uchitel has faced a host of
difficulties that have deeply affected her personal and professional life.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault,
help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).