Erica Herman has sued her ex-partner, golf star Tiger Woods, for 30 million dollars (just over 28 million euros, at current exchange rates). The reason is the mansion that both shared during part of their five years of courtship, owned by the golfer, located on Jupiter Island, one of the most exclusive areas of Florida, and where she stayed after the breakup. According to Herman, in October 2022 they reached a “verbal agreement” whereby Woods gave him the right to stay in that residence for “a certain period of time” that was limited to five years, the time that Herman and Woods were together. . Herman has also stated that part of the agreement meant that housing expenses would be “paid in full” by the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust, the legal entity that owns Woods’ Florida home.
Herman’s lawsuit alleges that Woods’ agents tricked her into leaving the mansion last year, telling her to prepare for a vacation. “Through deceit, the agents of the defendant [Woods] convinced the plaintiff [Herman] to pack a suitcase for a short vacation and, when she arrived at the airport, she was told that she had been left outside her residence,” the court file says. Herman has filed the lawsuit against the Woods trust, which is the owner of the house, and claims 30 million dollars that, according to her, is the “fair rental value” over the years he would have been promised that he could continue to live there.
News of the housing claim comes just days after Erica Herman filed another lawsuit to be released from a non-disclosure agreement the golf superstar made her sign at the beginning of their relationship in 2017, as reported last year. Wednesday March 8 various media. According to court records seen by the AFP news agency, Herman’s lawyers argue that the confidentiality agreement he was asked to sign is “invalid and unenforceable” under federal law known as the Speak Out Act. law, which came into force last year as a result of the movement MeToo, makes confidentiality agreements unenforceable in sexual assault and harassment cases. Herman’s case filings don’t go into further detail and there are no specific allegations against Woods, but in response to a question in the court filing that says, “Does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse?” Herman’s attorneys checked the box. with a “Yes”.
The documentation provided does state that the couple “had a long relationship” both professionally and personally, but that Herman “isn’t sure what information about his own life you can discuss or with whom”, including your “own experiences” and “experiences of your relatives” during the time you were the golfer’s partner.
Woods, 46, and Herman (whose age is unknown, but the US media estimate between 34 years old, some, and 44, others) were seen together for the first time at the Presidents Cup in New Jersey in September 2017. It was at that tournament, in which the golfer served as assistant captain of the United States team, where Herman wore the badge reserved for players’ girlfriends and wives. Since then, the couple has been seen in other competitions, and she was by his side when Woods claimed victory at the Augusta Masters in April 2019.
Herman worked as a manager at the restaurant that the athlete opened in Florida, The Woods Jupiter, and it was as a result of this connection that the two met. His time at the restaurant was not without controversy. The then manager of the premises and the owner were accused of manslaughter in 2019 by the parents of a waiter, who allegedly abused alcohol during his working hours and ended up dying in an accident. The case against Woods and Herman was eventually dropped.
Herman’s presence in the golfer’s life came at a very good time in his sporting career, which is why many pointed to the young woman as a positive influence in Woods’ life. The couple lived in the mansion that Tiger Woods in Florida, along with Sam and Charlie, the two children that the athlete had with his ex-wife, the Swedish model Elin Nordegren, whom he divorced in mid-2010 after six years of relationship. .
