Tiger Woods Is Suing Rachel Uchitel. Here's What We Know
In a boundary-pushing interview with The New York Times, published Aug. 9, 2021, Tiger Woods' former mistress Rachel Uchitel opened up about her infamous affair with the pro golfer. As the explosive profile notes, back in 2009, just days after their dalliance came to light, Uchitel signed a nondisclosure agreement prohibiting her from discussing the athlete — period.
At more than 30 pages long, the document was extensive, and Uchitel chose legendary Hollywood lawyer Gloria Allred to represent her, given the thorny legal issues. Woods' ex-mistress was paid $5 million for her silence, with the promise of a further $1 million annually for the following three years. As Uchitel recalled of the time, "His lawyers are saying, 'We want all your text messages and here's the price', and you're like 'screw you' and you move into deal-maker mode and all of a sudden, it's the rest of your life."
Now, after more than a decade of intense press intrusion and numerous stories dragging her name, Uchitel is poised to finally speak her truth without fear of the consequences. "I've had it with N.D.A.s," she stated firmly. However, although Uchitel should be heralded for opening up about her struggles, Woods' team is taking this opportunity to remind her of the legal agreement she made all those years ago.
Rachel Uchitel is paying the price for speaking out
According to a report in the Daily Mail, Tiger Woods is suing his former mistress Rachel Uchitel for breaking her lucrative NDA by publicly speaking out about their relationship. Uchitel discussed their entanglement at length with The New York Times, including the long-term effect it had on her personal life and the ironclad nondisclosure agreement that prevented her from revealing everything before.
However, the issue isn't necessarily the interview. Rather, Uchitel's involvement in the HBO docuseries "Tiger," which was released earlier this year, is under the microscope. "I wanted for once to be the one to narrate my story," Uchitel reasoned of her desire to speak on the record for the show.
Uchitel subsequently filed for bankruptcy. However, lawyer Michael Holtz, who's representing Woods, is challenging her protection from creditors in an attempt to impose a claim against her for millions of dollars for breaking the NDA. According to the beleaguered model, she could only find work as a spokeswoman for online dating services after the scandal with the pro golfer. In fact, she's suing a former employer for non-payment of $60,000 in earnings and damages. The dating service in question denies any wrongdoing and is suing Uchitel in response. Although she successfully negotiated an $8 million payout from Woods, Uchitel never actually received the full amount.
The NDA prevented her from discussing anything about Woods or their relationship, directly or indirectly, while Uchitel was also prevented from acknowledging that she signed the agreement in the first place.
The affair with Tiger Woods ruined Rachel Uchitel's life
Tiger Woods was married to Elin Nordegren when he initially started seeing Rachel Uchitel, with the couple finalizing their divorce in 2010 once the affair became public (via The Guardian). Although Uchitel was a willing participant in the relationship, as she explained to the New York Times, the ensuing scandal has disproportionately affected her life, rather than his. The TV personality takes particular issue with how she's been portrayed in the media, noting Woods was no saint. In fact, as Uchitel advised, "I knew him to be cheating on his wife from the first time I met him, well before we got together."
Uchitel was painted as the villain in the situation, chiefly because of Woods's high standing in society. "This is someone who everyone wants to be a hero," she explained of the pro-golfer, adding, "and anyone who crosses that narrative will be shamed." Uchitel advised, "I'm not an idiot, I'm not a hooker, I'm not a prostitute. I was and am a very smart girl and that's why I negotiated $8 million, because I knew it was going to affect my life." However, she only ended up pocketing around $2 million after paying taxes and lawyer fees. His team never came through with the rest of her money and even threatened Uchitel's ability to earn a living elsewhere.
Tiger Woods's lawyers are really coming after his former mistress
As Rachel Uchitel revealed to the New York Times, after documentary "Tiger" came out, Michael Holtz, one of Tiger Woods' lawyers, warned her, "If you get a job, I'll come after your wages. If you get married, I'll go after your joint bank account. I will come after you for the rest of your life." Holtz also claimed he wasn't adequately advised of her bankruptcy cases. Criminal lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman, famous for representing El Chapo, has agreed to help Uchitel, reasoning, "I felt badly for her. She had a consensual relationship with Woods, no more her fault than his, but after it was over, he was able to move on with his golf career, while she was stuck with the stigma of being the other woman."
The New York Post reports Woods's lawyers have hit a major stumbling block after Uchitel was granted a "discharge" from her bankruptcy case, which essentially gave her a clean slate, free from debts and other legal claims. Woods's team asked for the case to be reopened so they can make a claim against her violating the NDA. However, only future violations would be permissible. Uchitel's lawyer Maureen Bass argued there's no "legal basis" to do so. "He's saying in the future he's going to go after me," Uchitel advised, adding, "He isn't allowing me to have a fresh start." Bass noted it seems Woods's team is ready to pursue Uchitel forever.