Details About Tiger Woods And Erica Herman's Split
With every subsequent lawsuit, the drama surrounding golfing world champion Tiger Woods and his former beau Erica Herman only seems to be getting more chaotic. And with legal proceedings pending in a case that is already witnessing a war of accusations between both parties, thornier details are likely to be unearthed as the matter unfolds. It all started in October 2022 when Herman, Woods' partner of six years, sued his trust upon the claim that she was cheated into leaving the Florida mansion she shared with him during their relationship. This move violated a tenancy agreement that gave Herman the right to live on the property for another five years, she alleged. In 2023, Herman served another blow with a suit that summoned the Speak Out Act, which makes references to sexual assault — although there have been no allegations yet.
Since 2017, it's been quite a journey for Herman, who was once hailed as a leveler in Woods' tumultuous life. It was during his time with her that the world no. 1 champion reclaimed his glory by securing an overdue PGA win in 2018. His associates didn't hold back in vouching for the mental peace he found during this period: "Tiger looks and sounds better than he has in years. ... He's a new man," a source told People. From there to typifying Herman as a "jilted ex-girlfriend," the ball seems to have rolled irredeemably downhill. Read on to know the details about Tiger Woods and Erica Herman's split.
Tiger Woods and Erica Herman went public with their relationship in 2017
Tiger Woods and Erica Herman's first public appearance as a couple dates back to 2017 when the pro golfer brought her along as his plus-one to the Presidents Cup. The pairing raised eyebrows, and many media outlets at the time, unbeknownst to the identity of Herman, recognized her only as a mystery woman. According to Golf.com, Herman bore the "player spouse" credential at the tournament, signaling her importance to Woods.
Upon closer look, it was observed that Herman had long been hanging around Woods' life, with the golfing veteran's website identifying her as the general manager of The Woods Jupiter, his Florida-based flagship restaurant. Though Herman's status as Woods' romantic partner was eventually established, it was noted that the Presidents Cup was actually not the first time that she was spotted alongside Woods. She apparently accompanied the golfer and his children, Samantha and Charlie, to the U.S. Open in 2017.
A Florida native, Herman was reportedly studying to become a lawyer and working part-time at a bar in Orlando when she first met Woods. The world-renowned sportsman eventually hired her for a managerial position at his high-profile sports bar that opened its doors in 2015. Herman enjoyed a certain superiority among employees at The Woods by virtue of her proximity to the owner. "People were scared to get too close to her," a former employee at the restaurant told Page Six.
The loved up couple were never shy about some PDA
Erica Herman and Tiger Woods memorably sealed their love with a kiss after the golf veteran clinched a long-awaited win at the PGA Tour in 2018. Paps captured an elated Herman run up to Woods and plant a smooch to commemorate his first major win in five years. Sources close to Woods simultaneously testified to the seemingly positive impact Herman brought to his life.
"She's been 100 percent supportive, when he was down with his health and all that stuff," his friend and fellow golfer Arjun Atwal told Page Six, adding that Herman also shared a close relationship with Woods' children, Samantha and Charlie. The four (plus two furry companions) even sat for a portrait sometime in April during a quarantine dinner, with Woods captioning the rare private snap: "Nothing better than being with family."
In fact, there was some buzz about the couple saying their I dos — but not without considering a prenup agreement. A source told Radar Online that "Tiger won't wed without legal paperwork to protect his finances and assets." So he was keen on a prenup if marriage was on the cards for him a second time around. Since becoming his significant other, Herman remained a steady presence through major milestones in Woods' life, including the moment he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. At six years, their relationship was as long as Woods' marriage to Elin Nordegren.
Erica Herman saw him through tough times
Erica Herman was there to celebrate all of Tiger Woods' wins but also stood firmly by him through his darkest hour. In February 2021, Woods found himself in a serious car accident near Los Angeles that left him with severe injuries on his lower body. An official medical statement related that the sporting champion had to undergo emergency surgery and the extent of his physical trauma raised questions over whether or not he would ever be able to return to form on the golf course. Herman, among other people, was apparently key in assuring a sense of normalcy for Woods. In an interview with Golf Digest, he recalled how he "wanted to test and see if I still had my hands. So even in the hospital, I would have Erica and Rob [McNamara] throw me something. Throw me anything."
The pair was also embroiled in a legal controversy together back in 2019 when they were sued for allegedly overserving alcohol to an employee, who eventually died in a car accident after drunk driving. The 24-year-old was a bartender at Woods' flagship bar The Woods Jupiter and was hired by Herman. His family held Woods and Herman responsible, claiming that only a few days prior to the accident in December 2018, the couple had been drinking with their son. Woods and Herman's names were ultimately dropped from the wrongful death lawsuit.
Erica Herman sued Tiger Woods' trust claiming an agreement breach
Come 2022, things began going downhill for Tiger Woods and Erica Herman. The restaurant manager, with whom Woods shared his home in Jupiter Island, Florida, alleged that she had been wrongfully deceived into moving out of the property. As per court documents accessed by Heavy, in October 2022, Herman filed a lawsuit against Woods' Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust to the tune of $30 million, alleging a breach of an oral tenancy agreement between the parties that allowed her to reside at the property for the six years of her relationship with Woods. The suit mentioned that Herman was tricked into packing "for a short vacation, and when she arrived at the airport, they told her she had been locked out of her residence."
Woods' team quickly moved to have the lawsuit dismissed, claiming that Woods had called it quits with Herman the same month that she sued him and that her legal action was a reaction to the breakup. Woods denied Herman's claim of a tenancy agreement that permitted her to live in his luxurious $54 million mansion for 11 years. Alongside a violation of the Florida Residential Landlord Tenant Act, Herman's legal team also alleged misappropriation of her funds worth $40,000, pointing out that she provided "valuable services" in the time that she resided on the Jupiter Island property with Woods and his children.
The golfer claimed Erica Herman was only a guest in his house
Imagine living with someone for years as their significant other, only to be called a house guest at the end of the tenure. Yikes! That's exactly what happened with Erica Herman, who claimed she was wrongfully evicted from the home she had lived in with pro golfer Tiger Woods, whom she dated for six years. In a lawsuit filed in 2022, reportedly after the pair's breakup, Herman alleged that she had five more years to live at Woods' Jupiter Island home as part of an oral tenancy agreement — a claim vehemently denied by Woods' side. "During their relationship, Mr. Woods invited Ms. Herman to live with him as his guest in the Residence," legal documents quoted by TMZ stated, also claiming Herman had no rights of ownership or possession of the mansion.
Contrary to Herman's allegations that she was left without a roof over her head, Woods told the court that he had arranged for Herman's stay at a luxury resort and provided her with funds to set up on her own after their breakup. Woods' lawyers, on his behalf, have put forward the suggestion that the case against his trust constitutes personal disputes between the couple and stems from the circumstances of their split. She has been accused of bypassing formal and confidential legal procedures by airing out the conflict publicly.
Erica Herman attempted to have a non-disclosure agreement nullified
The new year hailed a fresh set of legal proceedings against Tiger Woods, initiated by his former girlfriend Erica Herman. The couple's breakup — already messy, owing to Herman's claim of wrongful eviction from the home they shared — turned messier in March 2023 when Herman filed a second lawsuit seeking the nullification of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) Woods allegedly made her sign when they started dating in 2017. As opposed to the first lawsuit that named Woods' trust, the NDA-related one is filed directly against the world champion.
Court documents obtained by ET Online indicate that Herman cited the Speak Out Act in her second suit, answering in the affirmative when asked, "Does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse?" The Speak Out Act, which became law in the United States in December 2022, seeks to prevent the enforcement of an NDA in sexual harassment cases. "She is also currently unsure what other information about her own life she may discuss or with whom," Herman's suit states, without delving into any specifics about her suggested claims.
Herman's legal proceedings in the Woods case trail a considerable debt to her name. In 2018, the Daily Mail reported that Woods' ladylove was reportedly evicted from her apartment at the time and, following some poor business decisions, had accumulated unpaid finances worth $240,000. It was proposed that the hefty sum could take 67 years to be cleared off.
Tiger Woods dismissed her as a 'jilted' lover
Erica Herman's pursuit to nullify a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) she claims to have signed at the start of her relationship with world golfing champion Tiger Woods has added a complicated layer to the case surrounding their breakup. Herman's second lawsuit against the NDA is tied to the Speak Out Act, which could rope in sexual abuse allegations, according to reports quoting court documents.
In turn, Woods is attempting to nullify Herman's claims, suggesting that she is not a survivor of sexual abuse but only a spurned lover. Further, Woods' side has argued that Herman's invocation of the Speak Out Act amounts to "a transparent abuse of the judicial process that undermines the purpose of the federal statute and those whom the statute seeks to protect," as quoted by Us Weekly.
The representation of Herman as a "jilted ex-girlfriend" by Woods' legal counsel precedes criticism for her choice to fight the couple's dispute in public instead of confidentially. However, this would not be the first time that Woods has found himself in the thick of public allegations surrounding misconduct. The golfing giant was famously embroiled in a character-damaging sex scandal back in 2009, which brought forth a slew of testimonies and lawsuits against Woods' infidelity. In 2006, a woman who filed a complaint that was later dismissed went so far as to describe Woods as "a sexual predator who needs help," Forbes reported.
Breakups are not Tiger Woods' strong suit
Court documents mention that Tiger Woods called off his relationship with Erica Herman in October 2022, shortly before she dragged his name to court. One could say that the controversy surrounding this celebrity split was not wholly unforeseen, given Woods' supposed inaptitude for amicable breakups. "He will cut people off without warning and go on with his life. And people that know him, know this is how he is," a source told ET Online, describing Woods' nature. One of the pro golfer's earliest flames from his teen years recalled how Woods had broken up with her via a letter. "It was so cruel," she told the New York Post.
With Herman, who was liberally cited as one of the key forces behind Woods' return to golf glory after his 2021 accident, the circumstances have visibly turned sour as the restauranteur alleged she was shiftily thrown out of their shared mansion after their relationship ended. As one of the greatest golf has ever seen, Woods and his personality have long been subjected to intense scrutiny in the public forum. "The same kind of character that will lead someone to reach for the stars, will let them throw somebody under the bus while they are trying to get there," therapist Terry Real told ABC News in the context of Woods' 2009 sex scandal coming to light. Narcissism and a sense of impunity were described as character traits of powerful male public figures.
This scandal is not the first for Tiger Woods — but has him terrified
Tiger Woods' prolific career on the golf course has always run parallel to a spotlight on his personal life — which has been sensational, to put it mildly. A towering figure in the world of sports, Woods witnessed an unforeseen dip in his public image post-2009 when news of his notorious sex scandal broke. It was alleged that Woods – then married to ex-model Elin Nordegren for five years — had engaged in extramarital affairs with multiple women.
While Woods expressed regret for his "transgressions," the unfolding incident tarnished his global reputation, resulting in his divorce from Nordegren and a temporary step back from golf. Many consecutive events — a drop in his world no. 1 ranking, a string of surgeries, and car accidents in 2017 and 2021 — kept audience interest in Woods' life piqued throughout the decade. However, there are suggestions that his messy split and legal entanglements with Erica Herman have left Woods particularly unsettled.
"Tiger feels like this is another shakedown. He doesn't want another scandal," a source told People, adding that the golfing veteran is terrified. Nevertheless, he doesn't seem to be taking a back seat in the matter. Woods filed a counterclaim in response to Herman's initial lawsuit against his trust, asking for permission to directly intervene in the case as an additional party.
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen's name has emerged amid the scandal
As if the Tiger Woods-Erica Herman case wasn't complicated enough, the entry of another glamorous high-profile name appears to have given the matter an unprecedented spin. In the wake of Woods' newfound single status, bookies have reportedly begun placing their odds as to who is likely to be his next ladylove. Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen has emerged as a top choice among digital oddsmakers.
Bündchen, whose own divorce from NFL star Tom Brady after a decade-long marriage made headlines in 2022, hasn't been pictured alongside Woods yet but is apparently a hot favorite among fans who believe she could be in line to date him. In seeming testament to the edge Bündchen has, one of Woods' ex-girlfriends Lindsey Vonn once told Elle about how the supermodel's good looks intimidated her so much so that she couldn't bear to stand next to her!
However, given that Bündchen has been linked to fitness instructor Joaquim Valente of late, there's a high possibility that her pairing with Woods may be a no-go in the immediate future. If bookies are to be believed, that's no cause for worry, since Bündchen is trailed by a long list of potential partners for Woods — including bombshell beauties Kim Kardashian, Paige Spiranac, and even Shakira! For now, the pro golfer is strictly flying solo, possibly focused on navigating the intricacies of his breakup with Herman.