This article has been updated since its original publication date to include information obtained from March 13th court documents in the Erica Herman/Tiger Woods lawsuit
There have been further developments in the lawsuit raised against Tiger Woods by ex-girlfriend Erica Herman, where she has attempted to invoke the “Speak Out Act” law in order to nullify a non-disclosure agreement she signed back in 2017. The federal law can limit any such agreements in cases where there are claims of sexual harassment or abuse, but according to new court documents filed on Monday, March 13th, the 48-year-old pro golfer insisted that Herman, 38, isn’t a victim of sexual abuse, but rather, just a “jilted ex-girlfriend.”
According to Woods’ court filing, obtained by The Post, “Ms. Herman is a not a victim of sexual assault or abuse sought to be protected by Congress when enacting the statute. Rather, Ms. Herman is a jilted ex-girlfriend who wants to publicly litigate specious claims in court, rather than honor her commitment to arbitrate disputes in a confidential arbitration proceeding.”
Tiger Woods Calls His Ex ‘Jilted’ After She Alluded to Sexual Assault in Legal Filing https://t.co/zGFgRZertp pic.twitter.com/AWkZ1WObJo
— Jezebel (@Jezebel) March 13, 2023
Woods’ argument is held up by the fact that Herman has not actually accused him of any sexual wrongdoing, and in her original lawsuit raised in October 2022 (after they broke up and she claimed she was tricked into leaving their home) even checked the box for ‘No,’ when asked ‘does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse.’ “Ms. Herman’s position is utterly meritless,” Woods’ attorney says in the filings, before adding, “It is a transparent abuse of the judicial process that undermines the purpose of the federal statute and those whom the statute seeks to protect.”
Woods’ lawyers also shared a copy of the NDA in court which, albeit heavily redacted, does show that Herman agreed to settle any disputes between the pair via arbitration first.
READ MORE: Tiger Woods Sheds Tears Amidst Emotional Career Announcement—We’re So Sad For Him!
Tiger Woods’ ex Erica Herman asks to nullify NDA over sexual assault clause https://t.co/zgwiLvBB56 pic.twitter.com/WhbdnnXKES
— Page Six (@PageSix) March 8, 2023
Tiger Woods’ Ex-Girlfriend Erica Herman Wants NDA Nullified, Citing Law For Cases Of Sexual Assault
The NDA was originally signed by Herman in 2017 when she and the professional golfer began dating, and means that she is not able to divulge any of the details required to support her case against the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust that owns Woods’ home, whereby she claims she was wrongly tricked into leaving the Florida mansion they shared for six years to go on vacation, only to be told at the airport that she was not allowed to return after they broke up in October.
Tiger Woods ex girlfriend Erica Herman is suing him for $30 million after he kicked her out his house.
He tricked her into thinking he was taking her on vacation, but instead dropped her off at the airport and locked her out the house. pic.twitter.com/XsEpRxgGxv
— SAY CHEESE! (@SaycheeseDGTL) March 9, 2023
Herman claims that the NDA should be nullified because of the “Speak Out Act,” and even though there have been no accusations of sexual misconduct in her lawsuits so far, she has implied that she would say more if the court released her from the NDA. Herman’s attorney made the following reply when filling out a form for her lawsuit against Woods: “Does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse?” asked the form. “Yes,” answered Herman’s attorney.
Herman is also seeking to gain clarity on other limitations enforced by the NDA, as she is “currently unsure what other information about her own life she may discuss or with whom.”
Erica Herman Claims She Is Owed $30M For Being Locked Out Of Woods’ Home After Split
In the filing obtained by People, Herman claims she had an oral agreement with the defendant, Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust, that allowed her to live at Woods' home for another five years. Lawyers for the trust say that Herman was only allowed to live in the home while she was still in a relationship with Woods. After they broke up in October 2022, she was told she had to move out.
"Ms. Herman responded to the breakup by filing this lawsuit," the lawyers said, implying that she is only filing the lawsuit as revenge for the split. Herman claims she’s owed $30M after the oral agreement was broken. According to Herman, the trust’s employees "locked her out of the Residence, removed her personal belongings, and informed her she could not return." Woods apparently didn’t think Herman (who was still his girlfriend at the time) would leave his mansion willingly after their breakup. Allegedly, employees on behalf of Woods’ trust encouraged Herman to "pack a suitcase for a short vacation and, when she arrived at the airport, they told her she had been locked out of her residence" and employees removed her personal belongings. Herman alleges that Woods paid for a "hotel room and certain expenses for a short period of time" and "frightened her away from returning" to the estate.
She also claims that she had more than $40,000 in cash at the residence that was "misappropriated" during the eviction. Per the court documents, Herman is suing for injunctive relief, monetary damages, and attorneys’ fees. She is able to sue under the Florida Residential Landlord Tenant Act. The professional golf player currently lives at the estate with his two children from his marriage with Elin Nordegren.
Herman, who is a former restaurant manager, was first romantically linked to Woods when she was pictured alongside him at the Presidents Cup in New Jersey in September 2017. It was there at the tournament that Herman wore a badge reserved for the girlfriends and wives of players. Woods served as an assistant captain for the United States team at the time.
She has since attended every game where Woods is competing. In 2021, Woods announced that he was stepping back from his full-time golfing career. However, the couple otherwise kept their private life private before their split. This is very different from Woods' previous relationship with professional skier Lindsey Vonn and his very public marriage and divorce from Nordegren.
Woods and Herman were rarely seen out in public outside of golf events. They were spotted attending the 2022 US Open together to support Serena Williams' last match from the stands. The couple has since ended their relationship in October 2022.
"No one has signed any paperwork," a source close to Woods told People in 2018 about the couple. "It's not like they're pledging their lives to each other. But she's really nice and Tiger likes her." "Tiger doesn't like to be alone," the friend added. "But he doesn't like to settle. Not anymore. So when he's with someone, he really needs to be into her."
Prior to his relationship with Herman and Vonn, Woods was married to Nordegren for six years. They divorced in Aug. 2010 after Woods was caught in a very publicized cheating scandal. He confessed to multiple infidelities and completed a 45-day therapy program.
