Erica Herman Sues Tiger Woods in Domestic Dispute Over Home and Money
Erica Herman Alleges Violation of Agreement After Tiger Woods Kicked Her Out of Shared House Last Year.
After Tiger Woods broke up with Erica Herman in October, a domestic dispute erupted between the two which resulted in Herman being locked out of their shared seaside mansion on the Treasure Coast.
According to court records obtained by USA TODAY Sports, Herman has filed a lawsuit against a homestead trust controlled by Woods in Hobe Sound, Florida. She is claiming damages exceeding $30 million and alleging that the trust and its agents misappropriated $40,000 cash that belonged to her, while making false claims about how she obtained the money.
Herman is arguing that she had an “oral tenancy agreement” in place that allowed her to remain in the home for five more years after being there for six years before the breakup, and that Woods violated this agreement by kicking her out.
According to her lawsuit, the plaintiff performed extensive and exceptional duties given the overall circumstances and living environment.
“Non-Disclosure Agreement with Tiger Woods Challenged by Plaintiff under Speak Out Act”
In a separate complaint, the plaintiff has asked the court to release her from the non-disclosure agreement she signed with Tiger Woods in 2017. She argued that the agreement could not be enforced under the federal Speak Out Act, which prohibits the enforceability of such agreements in cases of sexual assault or harassment disputes.
As lawyers for Tiger Woods’ trust attempt to enforce the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and move the domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend into private arbitration, both lawsuits are intertwined.
Lawsuit Against Woods’ Trust Filed in October but Not Previously Reported”
The first lawsuit against Tiger Woods’ trust was filed in October but remained unreported until recently.
Erica Herman’s lawsuit against Woods’ trust claims that she has repeatedly requested to be allowed back into her shared home, but the trust’s agents have refused.
According to the lawsuit filed against the trust, she was forced away due to the “trickery” of trust agents who induced her to pack a suitcase for a brief holiday. When she arrived at the airport, she was informed that she had been locked out of her residence, in violation of the oral lease agreement and Florida law, according to the lawsuit.
In response to the complaint, the trust has asked the court to order confidential arbitration of the issue. According to the complaint, the NDA between Woods and Herman requires arbitration for such issues, and she sued the trust rather than Woods to evade this obligation and “gain leverage by litigating her disputes with Mr. Woods in a public venue.”
Woods created the trust in 2017, according to court filings filed by the trust. Its only possible beneficiaries are Woods and his offspring. Its only asset is a stake in this house.
“Ms. Herman was invited to live in the House when she was in a relationship with her former lover, Eldrick (Tiger) Woods, who continues to live in the Residence with his two children,” according to a document submitted in court by the trust. “Ms. Herman was notified that she was no longer allowed in the Residence after Mr. Woods recently discontinued the relationship.”
Herman, on the other hand, has pushed back, citing a federal provision that invalidates arbitration agreements that preclude a party from suing in court for sexual assault and harassment. The Eliminating Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 is the name of this legislation.
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