Tiger Woods' Court Battle Against Ex Erica Herman Takes Turn In His Favor

Amid his legal battle with ex-girlfriend Erica Herman, golf legend Tiger Woods has landed a big win. Herman first filed a lawsuit against Woods back in March 2023, asking the court to nullify a non-disclosure agreement she signed at the beginning of their relationship in 2017. At the time, Herman stated that because of the NDA, she was uncertain of what she could and couldn't disclose about her relationship with Woods. "She is also currently unsure what other information about her life she may discuss or with whom," a part of the lawsuit read, as reported by the New York Post.

Two months later, Herman updated her filing against the athlete, this time accusing him of sexual assault. Herman, who formerly worked as the manager at one of Woods' restaurants, alleged that the pro golfer forced her to sign the NDA with threats that he would fire her if she refused. "A boss imposing different work conditions on his employee because of their sexual relationship is sexual harassment," Herman's attorney Benjamin Hobas wrote in the filing, according to CBS News.  

Subsequently, Woods fired back at Herman's claims with a lawsuit where he denied any wrongdoings. "Ms. Herman is not a victim of sexual assault or abuse," his lawyers said in the filing, per People. "Rather, Ms. Herman is a jilted ex-girlfriend who wants to publicly litigate specious claims in court." Yet, despite rising tensions between the two exes, things seem to be looking up for the golf star.

In a new update, TMZ reports that a Florida judge ruled that Tiger Woods and Erica Herman must settle their legal case in arbitration instead of court. With this new ruling, the court is upholding the existing arbitration clause in the NDA that states any legal dispute between the two parties be settled behind closed doors. This, of course, is a far cry from Herman's March request, where she asked for the NDA to be nullified and argued for the case to go to court. Woods, on the other hand, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, was hoping to go through a private arbitrator. 

Elizabeth A. Metzger, the judge in charge of the case, also touched on Herman's sexual harassment allegations, describing it as "vague" and "implausibly pled." According to ESPN, Metzger also wrote in her ruling: "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."

Though Woods' legal battle with Herman has continued to make headlines, she is not the first woman to sign an NDA with the athlete. According to The New York Times, former nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel has since revealed that she also signed a non-disclosure agreement after her affair with the pro golfer ended back in 2009.