Golf GOAT Tiger Woods is fighting two lawsuits filed by his now ex-girlfriend, Erica Herman.
According to USA Today Sports, Herman took legal action against the 47-year-old sports legend in October after his representatives reportedly sent her on a solo trip. He subsequently changed the locks of his Treasure Coast mansion and booted the woman.
Court documents revealed that Herman sued Woods’ trust and not him personally. She is asking a Florida court for over $30 million in damages and another $40,000 she claimed was hers. The lawsuit also alleged that the seemingly salty ex-girlfriend had an “oral tenancy agreement.” She was to stay at the mansion because she resided there before Woods ended their relationship.
“Plaintiff has continually demanded to be allowed back into her home, but Defendant’s agents have refused,” said Herman’s attorneys suggested in the lawsuit against the trust. ”The duties that were performed by, and expected of, Plaintiff were extensive and of an extraordinary nature in light of the overall circumstances and environment in which she lived.”
“Ms. Herman was invited to live in the Residence while she was in a relationship with her former boyfriend, Eldrick (Tiger) Woods, who continues to live in the Residence with his two children,” said a document filed in court by the trust. “After Mr. Woods recently terminated the relationship, Ms. Herman was advised that she was no longer welcome in the Residence.”
The trust that Woods established in 2017 was created specifically for the golfer and his offspring. It’s not clear why Herman feels entitled to the Treasure Coast mansion.
Last week, Herman also filed a motion against the trust to void the legally-binding NDA she signed. Using the trust, the cunning ex-flame attempts to bypass the arbitration requirement that a direct suit against Woods would entail. Herman tries to “gain leverage by litigating her disputes with Mr. Woods in a public forum.”
The former manager of Woods’ Jupiter, Florida restaurant, is also using the defense of a federal law called the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault And Sexual Harassment Act of 2021. Ironically, she has not accused the 15-time golf champion of sexual harassment or acting inappropriately toward her.
“This uncertainty is acute and important,” the lawsuit against Woods stated. “Because of the aggressive use of the Woods NDA against her by the Defendant and the trust under his control, the Plaintiff is unsure whether she may disclose, among other things, facts giving rise to various legal claims she believes she has. She is also currently unsure what other information about her own life she may discuss or with whom. There is, therefore, an active dispute between the Plaintiff and the Defendant for which the Plaintiff needs a clarifying declaration from the court.”
This week, Woods’ camp called the lawsuits frivolous and alleged that Herman was nothing more than a “jilted ex-girlfriend.”
His attorneys also shut down her claim of having an oral tenant agreement, arguing that the 39-year-old woman merely shacked up with her then-boyfriend.
According to Lewert Law’s website, though Herman and Woods had a five-year relationship, Florida doesn’t recognize common law marriage.
“In the state of Florida, if you are not married, you do not have any rights that married couples would have. This holds true for common-law marriages. You cannot reside in Florida and have the state establish a common-law marriage. It will recognize a common law marriage from another state, however.”
Unmarried couples were breaking the law until 2016. Cohabitating was considered a second-degree felony and was punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Herman should probably move on because relationships end every day, B. Maybe, she can get her old job back at Woods’ restaurant.
