One week after Tiger Woods’s ex-girlfriend, Erica Herman, filed a lawsuit seeking to nullify an NDA she signed while working for Tiger Woods; the golfer filed a motion to compel arbitration. Herman is also suing Woods for $30 million, claiming that she was locked out of their shared home in Florida.
Now, an attorney for Tiger Woods has responded to these allegations, denying that she had an oral tenancy agreement to stay at his home for five more years after he broke up with her in October. The attorney also affirms that Woods had arranged to pay for Herman to stay at a luxury hotel resort after the breakup, and he had also provided funds for her to use in a new residence.
The couple had been in a relationship for six years and lived together in Florida, where the initial complaint was filed by Herman, although court documents still list their shared home as the primary residency for both parties.
Erica Herman has filed two separate complaints. The first one, filed in October 2022, alleges a trust owned and created by the golf star violates the Florida Residential Landlord Tenant Act by breaking her oral tenancy agreement to continue living in Woods’ home. The filing states the actual damages to Herman could surpass $30,000,000. In addition, a more recent complaint was filed aiming at nullifying the NDA.
In another briefing, Herman also cited a statute that affirms plaintiffs in sexual harassment or assault disputes cannot be compelled to arbitrate those claims.
Now, Woods’ attorneys are asking a court to compel Herman to resolve her complaints through arbitration. The attorneys argue that Herman does nothing more than cite the articles and their scandalous titles, while she has never asserted any claims for sexual assault or sexual harassment.
Another point the attorneys make is that Herman’s decision to sue the Trust rather than Woods is her attempt to avoid her contractual obligation to arbitrate, therefore obtaining leverage by litigating her disputes with her ex-boyfriend in a public forum.
“In other words, in the arbitration proceeding, Mr. Woods seeks to arbitrate the very same claims that Ms. Herman raises in her action in this Court against the Trust,” read the filing by Woods’ attorney.
According to the filing, Woods and his two minor children are the only potential beneficiaries of the trust. The only asset in the trust is a remainder interest in the residence.
