A former girlfriend of Tiger Woods has filed a lawsuit against him.
On May 5, Erica Herman, who previously dated billionaire golfer Tiger Woods, filed a lawsuit against him. She alleges that in 2017, he threatened to fire her from her job if she didn’t sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Herman is now seeking to nullify the NDA.
In her lawsuit, Herman claims that her relationship with Woods began when she worked for him, and he threatened her job if she didn’t sign the NDA.
Woods’ attorney denies any sexual harassment or assault against Herman and has labeled her allegations as unfounded.
While managing Woods’ restaurant in Palm Beach County in August 2017, Herman sent an email to the CFO of Tiger Woods Ventures expressing her concerns about signing the NDA. Her main worry was losing her job at the restaurant if their relationship ended and consequently losing control over her future in the industry. She signed the NDA on August 9, 2017, two days after sending the email.
On Sunday, ahead of a Tuesday hearing, Herman’s lawyers filed the email and other documents. Woods’ attorneys plan to ask the judge to dismiss Herman’s lawsuit because the NDA requires all disputes to be resolved privately through arbitration rather than in court.
Herman argues that the NDA is not valid due to a new federal law allowing for the nullification of contracts in cases of sexual abuse or harassment. She says that Woods’ alleged threat to fire her if she didn’t sign the agreement constitutes harassment.
Additionally, Herman has filed a $30 million lawsuit against the trust owning Woods’ mansion. She claims that Woods verbally promised in 2017 that she could live there for at least 11 years, but he evicted her after only five years. Woods’ lawyer refutes Herman’s claims, stating that Woods never made any such promise regarding housing.
In her lawsuit, Herman asks the judge to either nullify the NDA or provide guidance on what she is permitted to reveal publicly. She also argues that the agreement applies solely to her professional relationship with Woods and not to their personal affairs.