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Judge Declares Tiger Woods' Ex-Girlfriend Must Honor NDA, Resolve Lawsuits Privately

Adam Wells

Erica Herman, the ex-girlfriend of Tiger Woods, must honor the non-disclosure agreement she was purported to have signed in 2017 after a ruling from a judge on Wednesday.

Per the Associated Press, Florida Circuit Judge Elizabeth Metzger ruled Herman must resolve her lawsuits against Woods through private arbitration.

Metzger wrote in her ruling that Herman's allegations that Woods sexually harassed her were "vague and threadbare."

In court documents filed on May 5 obtained by Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig, Herman alleged Woods forced her to sign an NDA or be fired from her job at his restaurant in Florida.

"Mr. Woods was Ms. Herman's boss," Herman's attorney, Benjamin Hobas, wrote in the filing. "On Mr. Woods' own portrayal of events, he imposed an NDA on her as a condition to keep her job when she began having a sexual relationship with him. A boss imposing different work conditions on his employee because of their sexual relationship is sexual harassment."

Herman alleged in the filing she had a verbal agreement with Woods to stay at his residence for approximately five more years and claimed $30 million in damages, per Harig. She originally filed a lawsuit against the PGA Tour legend in October.

Metzger noted Herman "has had the opportunity [to] provide factual specificity for any claim relating to sexual assault or sexual harassment, however, she has not done so."

The judge's ruling also said evidence shows a non-disclosure agreement was negotiated between Woods and Herman, even though her attorneys previously said she didn't recall signing an agreement.

According to the AP, Hobas did concede during a May 9 hearing Herman signed an NDA but added "she doesn't remember ever seeing the one Woods' attorneys presented to the court."

Woods' attorneys acknowledged he invited Herman "to live with him as his guest" at his residence, but he "never negotiated an oral tenancy agreement" nor "was there ever a written tenancy agreement between Mr. Woods or the Trust," per a March court filing obtained by Miranda Siwak of US Weekly.

Herman's attorneys have the right to appeal Metzger's ruling, but the Associated Press noted it's unknown if that will happen.

In a counterclaim to Herman's original lawsuit, Woods said the two had a romantic relationship and entered into an NDA dated for Aug. 9, 2017. He notified her he was breaking off the relationship and she was no longer welcome at his residence on Oct. 13, 2022.

   

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