Tiger Woods' Ex Is Making Big Allegations

Tiger Woods not only tricked his ex into leaving the couple's shared home but also allegedly committed sexual abuse, according to court documents. Erica Herman, who dated Woods from 2017 to October 2022, first alleged Woods' homestead trust broke an oral tenancy agreement that allowed her to stay at the seaside mansion in Hobe Sound, Florida, for another five years in an October lawsuit. She said her possessions were removed while $40,000 of her money was "misappropriated," with trust reps making "scurrilous and defamatory allegations" about how it was obtained, per the BBC. She estimated damages above $30 million "given the substantial monthly rental value" of the home, per USA Today.

In a December motion, the trust claimed Woods, 47, told Herman "she was no longer welcome" in his home after breaking up with her in October, per CNN. It also claimed Herman's lawsuit was in violation of a non-disclosure agreement between the pair, which necessitates "confidential arbitration in all disputes." Here's where the alleged sexual abuse comes up: "In a civil cover sheet appended to the October suit, Herman's attorney indicated 'no' when asked whether the case 'involves allegations of sexual abuse,'" CNN reports. However, the same question was answered "yes" in a new lawsuit Herman filed against Woods on Monday, per USA Today. This one seeks to free Herman from the NDA.

It claims the agreement is "invalid and unenforceable" as the 2022 Speak Out Act prohibits judicial enforceability of NDAs in cases of sexual assault or harassment. "One possibility is something did happen between the two of them and she wants to get justice," a lawyer who specializes in legal agreements between romantic partners tells USA Today. Another possibility is that she aims to pressure Woods into a financial settlement, the lawyer says. "In the context of litigation and the publicity that is likely to follow, Ms. Herman improperly seeks to leverage a payment from Mr. Woods in an amount that no arbitral forum would ever award," a lawyer for the trust wrote in December. "Such gamesmanship should not be tolerated." (More Tiger Woods stories.)