How Did Tiger Woods First Meet His Now Ex-Girlfriend Erica Herman?

This article includes allegations of sexual harassment.

Tiger Woods was the king of the golf world, riding high and seemingly undefeatable. Then he was hit by a tsunami of troubles, including multiple injuries and a cheating scandal of epic proportions. Woods has never fully regained his glittering crown since, except for bursts of his old genius. Woods also never repaired his squeaky-clean reputation, and realistically, at this point, he never will. Woods' relationship with his last ex-girlfriend, Erica Herman, is a prime example of why.

Everything first began crumbling on Thanksgiving 2009 when the National Enquirer revealed that Woods had been cheating on his wife and the mother of his two kids with Las Vegas club manager Rachel Uchitel. Elin Nordegren immediately took an eight-iron to Woods' SUV and left more than the car's windows damaged, per TMZ.

RadarOnline reported that following Woods and Nordegren's divorce in 2010, she settled down and had a baby with NFL player Jordan Cameron. Meanwhile, Woods' attorneys drew up a batch of NDAs to wield as he returned to the bachelor life. Par for the course, according to the Daily Mail, yet more cheating allegations soon followed. Still, thanks to Woods' insistence on girlfriends signing NDAs, any potentially embarrassing details were kept under wraps — until Herman entered the scene. She signed his dating NDA, then attempted to tear it up after Woods' unceremoniously dumped her, causing all manner of headaches for the scandal-plagued athlete. So, how did Tiger Woods first meet his now ex-girlfriend Erica Herman?

According to the New York Post, Tiger Woods and Erica Herman first met when she was an undergrad working as a server in a bar he frequented. Woods eventually recruited her to manage his restaurant, the Woods Jupiter. However, they didn't go public with their romance until 2017, when Herman appeared by his side wearing a "player spouse" badge at the Presidents Cup.

Initially, Herman seemed to be Woods' good luck charm. She cheered him on when he won his first tour championship in over five years and scored his 2019 Masters' win after 11 long years in the major championships wilderness. However, Woods' winning streak ended abruptly after a gruesome car crash nearly resulted in a leg amputation, per the Chicago Tribune.

And the woes kept coming. The New York Post reported that Herman filed a lawsuit in October 2022, claiming Woods encouraged her to go on a vacation and then, while she was away, changed the locks to the house they were sharing, abruptly ending their six-year relationship. Herman filed another lawsuit in May requesting that the NDA she signed be nullified, citing the Speak Out Act, which aims to protect victims of sexual assault and harassment. She also asked that the court clarify the exact boundaries and restrictions of the NDA. "This uncertainty is acute and important," her filing states. "She is [currently unsure] what other information about her life she may discuss or with whom," it continues.

Despite his seemingly airtight NDA dating policy, hugely embarrassing details of Tiger Woods' six-year relationship with Erica Herman were made public after she filed a lawsuit in October 2022. The situation worsened after she filed a second suit, requesting her NDA be nullified. Then, she filed a third lawsuit in May.

According to the Daily Mail, Herman made several startling allegations, including sexual harassment and wrongful enforcement. "Tiger Woods, the internationally renowned athlete and one of the most powerful figures in global sports, decided to pursue a sexual relationship with his employee, then [forced her to sign] an NDA about it or else be fired from her job," one accusation reads. Woods hit back in his counter-filing, denying Herman's abuse claims and alleging she was a publicity-hungry bitter ex. "For more than six years, Ms. Herman enjoyed the benefits of her agreement," Wood's attorneys claimed (via People). They said she agreed to sign the NDA "as consideration for [the privilege] to continue to spend time with Mr. Woods." They accused Herman of "making salacious and insidious implications."

TMZ reported that the golfer scored a hole-in-one on May 18 after a judge ruled their case go to arbitration rather than be heard in an open court —meaning all of the salacious details of their ill-fated relationship will be kept private behind closed doors. The Jupiter, Florida-based judge also questioned the validity of Herman's sexual harassment allegations, determining that they were "vague and threadbare" and "implausibly pled."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).