Not backing down. Tiger Woods called out ex-girlfriend Erica Herman for invoking the Speak Out Act amid their messy battle over a non-disclosure agreement.
The pro golfer, 47, responded to Herman’s legal filing in documents of his own on Monday, March 13. According to the filing obtained by Us Weekly, Woods’ lawyers shut down Herman, 38, for her “utterly meritless” attempt to nullify the former couple’s NDA, which was signed at the beginning of their relationship.
In her lawsuit filed earlier this month, Herman asked the court for clarification regarding “various legal claims she believes she has” about her split from the athlete. The twosome started dating in 2017 and quietly called it quits amid their legal drama.
“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,” read docs obtained by Us on Wednesday, March 8.
Herman went on to cite the Speak Out Act, which protects victims of sexual harassment and assault, as the reason that the NDA should be overturned. However, her lawsuit did not explicitly include allegations of sexual assault or harassment nor have any accusations been made public.
Woods pointed out the discrepancy in his paperwork on Monday, claiming Herman “is 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.”
The response slams Herman’s reference to the Speak Out Act, alleging that her argument is “a transparent abuse of the judicial process that undermines the purpose of the federal statute and those whom the statute seeks to protect.”
Herman previously sued Woods and his Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust in October 2022 for allegedly kicking her out of their shared home in Florida. She argued that her now-ex violated Florida’s Residential Landlord Tenant Act, claiming that she was in an “oral tenancy agreement” that allowed her to live on the property for up to 11 years but had only been there for six.
The former restaurant manager further alleged that Woods used “trickery” and other “prohibited practices” to get her to leave the mansion. She is seeking $30 million in damages.
Amid the post-breakup tension, the five-time Masters Tournament champ denied unlawfully forcing Herman to leave 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,” read court docs filed earlier this month. “Nor was there ever a written tenancy agreement between Mr. Woods or the Trust.”
