Par for the course? Tiger Woods and ex-girlfriend Erica Herman had “a breakdown in their relationship” before calling it quits, a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly.
The pro golfer, 47, and the former restaurant manager, 39, clashed “over time and money,” the insider adds. “Erica thought Tiger was never at home, and Tiger thought Erica was spending too much and living too lavish of a lifestyle.”
The now-exes “started out very strong” when they began dating in 2017, per the source. Herman even stood by Woods after his near-fatal car crash in February 2021, which left him with multiple fractures and required the athlete to undergo surgery.
“[Erica] was his best friend, nurse and lover and things were great,” the insider says of the pair’s early romance, noting that Woods was “living a healthier and more low-key lifestyle” in part thanks to Herman, to whom he remained “faithful” ahead of their split.
After more than four years together, however, the duo’s dynamic took a turn. News broke earlier this month that the five-time Masters Tournament champ and Herman quietly went their separate ways as Herman sued Woods and his Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust for $30 million. She alleged in court docs obtained by Us on March 8 that the athlete allegedly kicked her out of their shared home upon their breakup. (She initially filed her lawsuit in October 2022.)
Herman claimed that she had an “oral tenancy agreement” that allowed her to live on the Florida property — and argued that Woods used “prohibited practices” violating the state’s Residential Landlord Tenant Act to force her out. He fired back in court docs of his own soon after the legal drama made headlines.
“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,” read the response. “Nor was there ever a written tenancy agreement between Mr. Woods or the Trust.”
The California native and his legal team filed a second response on Monday, March 13, regarding Herman’s use of the Speak Out Act as reasoning for the former couple’s NDA — which was signed at the outset of their relationship — to be nullified. The congressional act protects victims of sexual assault and harassment, but Herman did not explicitly accuse Woods of such behavior in her lawsuit.
Woods’ recent filing slams Herman’s “utterly meritless” argument, referring to her as “a jilted ex-girlfriend who wants to publicly litigate specious claims in court, rather than honor her commitment to arbitrate disputes in a confidential arbitration proceeding.” He called her reference to the act “a transparent abuse of the judicial process that undermines the purpose of the federal statute and those whom the statute seeks to protect.”
Herman, meanwhile, “feels entitled to a payout” due to “how much she helped him, physically and spiritually” throughout their romance, the insider tells Us, adding that Herman is “hoping [Tiger] settles” before the case heads to court.
For more on Woods’ legal woes, watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
