Professional athlete Tiger Woods has responded to ex-girlfriend Erica Herman’s allegations that he unlawfully forced her to move out of their shared home.
“Mr. Woods invited Ms. Herman to live with him as his guest in the Residence. Mr. Woods never negotiated an oral tenancy agreement with Ms. Herman,” attorneys for the 47-year-old pro golfer said in a new court filing earlier this week, which was obtained by Us Weekly. “Nor was there ever a written tenancy agreement between Mr. Woods or the Trust.”
Us confirmed on Wednesday, March 8, that Herman, 39, sued Woods and his Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust for violating Florida’s Residential Landlord Tenant Act.
Herman, who began dating the California native in 2017, noted in her October 2022 court filing that she has lived at Woods’ residence since he purchased the Florida property and “performed valuable services at the request of [Tiger’s] agents,” which was part of an “oral tenancy agreement” that allowed her to live there. Herman also claimed that Woods used premeditated “prohibited practices” and “trickery” to get her to leave the mansion amid their recent breakup. Herman is seeking actual and consequential damages of $30 million, based on the rental value of the property.
Woods, however, claimed in his March rebuttal that he notified Herman of his intentions to break up and arranged for her to “stay at a local luxury resort” and “provided funds she could apply toward a new residence” following the split.
“[Erica’s lawsuit] is nothing more than a transparent attempt by Ms. Herman to avoid her contractual obligation to arbitrate and to gain leverage by litigating her disputes with Mr. Woods in a public forum,” the athlete’s attorneys claimed in their motion.
Neither the Masters Tournament champ — who shares two children with ex-wife Elin Nordegren — nor Herman publicly announced when they ended their romantic relationship, though the former restaurant manager also filed to nullify the non-disclosure agreement that she signed at the beginning of their romance. Herman’s initial court filing cited the Speak Out Act, a law that protects victims of sexual harassment and assault, as the reason that the pair’s NDA should be voided but did not further disclose the nature of her allegation.
Woods’ legal team requested in their recent filing for the court to determine that Herman’s “landlord-tenant claims do not constitute a ‘sexual harassment dispute.’”
Herman, who was first linked to the PGA Tour champ in November 2017, has not publicly responded to her ex’s new claims.
