Yahoo Sports Tiger Woods' ex-girlfriend provides new details about how he broke up with her
An attorney for the ex-girlfriend of Tiger Woods filed a document in court Friday that provides new details about her breakup with Woods in October, how she allegedly got tricked into being kicked out of his house and why it matters in their ongoing public court dispute in Florida.
Woods, the famed golfer, has tried to steer the dispute into private arbitration proceedings in accordance with the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) his attorney says they signed in 2017. But Erica Herman, the ex-girlfriend, wants the court to determine that the NDA is invalid or unenforceable for various reasons, including because she states she was subject to sexual harassment by him. Her filing noted that Woods did not try to take their breakup dispute to arbitration when he kicked her out of the house in October.
"Instead, he called a California attorney — who promotes himself as 'Ray Donovan with a pen' — to unceremoniously eject Ms. Herman from the house through trickery and break up with her for him," said the document filed Friday by attorney Benjamin Hodas. "The scheme involved convincing Ms. Herman to pack for a weekend excursion to the Bahamas. She and Mr. Woods often traveled on short notice for quick getaways, and she was told this would be another such trip. So, she took a minimum of items, expecting to return home in a few days."
Ray Donovan is a fictional television character described as a professional "fixer" for the rich and famous, according to IMDb.
Herman's filing stated Woods then drove her to the airport, where a private plane was waiting. But instead of boarding the plane, she stated Woods told her to talk to his lawyer and left.
"Then, Mr. Woods's California lawyer, out of the blue, told her that she was not going anywhere, would never see Mr. Woods again, had been locked out of the house, and could not return," her filing stated. "She would not even be able to see the children or her pets again. While still in the hangar, 'Ray Donovan with a pen' proceeded to insult Ms. Herman, (advised) her she had no legal rights, and (tried) to force her to agree to a (different) non-disclosure and arbitration agreement.”
What happened next?
Her filing stated she refused to sign despite these "brutish and high-pressure tactics."
"Importantly, neither Mr. Woods, nor his lawyer, nor any of his other agents invoked some pre-existing arbitration agreement that day as they ejected Ms. Herman from the house and took away her personal property and pets," the filing states.
Herman's filing states this is "revealing" because it shows his private relationship with Herman hadn't been governed by the purported NDA between them from 2017. Woods wants it to now, according to court filings.
An attorney for Woods didn't return a message seeking comment. An attorney in California whose website describes him as "Ray Donovan with a pen" didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Herman has filed lawsuits against Woods and a trust established by Woods for his residence on the Treasure Coast of Florida. She wants the court to declare the NDA invalid in one lawsuit and has claimed $30 million in damages in the other after saying she was ousted from the residence in violation of an oral tenancy agreement. Woods' attorney has denied there was such an agreement and has labeled her a "jilted" ex-girlfriend.
Herman's filing states her ejection from her home also shows this dispute relates to sexual harassment. Herman is a former employee at Woods' restaurant in Jupiter, Florida. He was her "boss" when the relationship began, according to the filing.
"When the sexual relationship ended, she was kicked out of her home," the filing stated.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tiger Woods' ex-girlfriend recounts their unusual breakup in October
