Tiger Woods concerned about ‘another scandal’ after ex Erica Herman sued him in ‘nightmare’ suit

Tiger Woods is “terrified” by the lawsuit filed against him by his ex-girlfriend Erica Herman, as he worries about the possibility of “another scandal”, according to a report.

Herman is taking Woods to court over an NDA that she says is unfairly imposed on her, citing the Speak Out Act, alleging in the bombshell lawsuit that he sexually abused her.

In a separate court filing uncovered by DailyMail.com, Herman is suing Woods for $30 million in “severe” emotional damage, alleging he tricked her into leaving the Florida mansion where they had lived together for six years.

Woods is now concerned about how the legal battle will play out publicly, as the golfing legend is desperate to avoid another scandal, according to People.

“It terrifies him,” an inside source close to the 15-time major winner told the publication.

Woods’ career was nearly derailed by a past cheating scandal with his ex-wife Elin Nordegren, who is the mother of his two children: daughter Sam, 15, and son Charlie, 14.

Two days after news of Woods’ affair with New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel broke, he crashed into a tree and a fire hydrant with his truck.

Then more women came forward claiming to have had affairs with the golf star, prompting him to take an indefinite leave of absence from golf in an attempt to save his marriage and check himself into a behavioral rehabilitation center in Mississippi.

Woods and Nordegren finally publicly divorced in August 2010.

There is said to be “a lot of panic” for Woods with the situation being described as a “nightmare” for him as he seeks to avoid another public scandal.

Herman is said to be aware that the thought of another controversy terrifies Woods since “they’ve talked about it.”

The source added that “nobody wants the details of a long-term relationship to be made public.”

The source claimed that it had become apparent to “everyone” around the former couple that the relationship had become “toxic”.

Herman is demanding more than $30 million for what she says is a “dereliance of duty” that left her suffering “severe” emotional damage.

Woods says the amount Herman is asking for in the lawsuit is “ridiculous,” according to the inside source.

They added that the PGA Tour star now has to decide “whether it’s worth paying that amount to make this go away” or risk seeing Herman give a revealing interview “with Dr. Phil.”

In documents filed in October, Herman said she should have been allowed to live in the home in Hobe Sound, Florida, for another five years, but Woods used “deception” after breaking up with her in October.

He claimed he had a verbal agreement with Woods’ trust, the Jupiter Island Homestead Irrevocable Trust, which is the legal owner of his mansion in Hobe Sound where the two lived together, that allowed him to live on the property for 11 years.

The complaint says that she provided “valuable services” at Woods’ request as part of the “oral lease,” which gave her the right to live on the property for a “certain period of time.”

According to Herman, there were five years left on the oral agreement for her to live on the property when Woods engaged in “prohibited practices.”

Herman alleged that former world No. 1 Woods convinced her to go on vacation and when she arrived at the airport, she was told by her representatives that she had been blocked.

Herman also claimed that representatives for Woods took $40,000 of his money and made “defamatory and libelous allegations” about how he obtained the money.

In a separate court filing to quash the NDA, Herman made the startling allegation that the 82-time PGA Tour winner had sexually abused, but did not go into detail about what the alleged abuse entailed, simply checking the “yes” box under the question ‘Does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse?’

In the filing, Herman cited the Speak Out Act, which states that an NDA is unenforceable if it is agreed to prior to a dispute involving sexual assault or sexual harassment.

She said that Woods’ private trust is pressuring her to keep quiet and adhere to the NDA, stating that she is “currently not sure what other information about her own life she can discuss or with whom.”

Woods recently filed a motion to compel arbitration and stay the claims.

In the document, his attorneys said that after Woods ended the relationship, Herman was told she was “no longer welcome” at the property, where the golfer lives with his two children.

Woods and Herman were together for six years after they were first seen at the Presidents Cup in New Jersey in October 2017.

She had worked as the general manager at the restaurant, a Genesis Open pop-up at The Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, California, owned by her boyfriend, and once they began dating, the two became inseparable, with Herman regularly supporting him in golf tournaments

Rumors began to circulate about them after Erica was seen wearing a ‘gamer’s wife’ badge, which is usually given to wives and girlfriends.

The following month, they went public with their relationship.

Woods’ lawyers claim that he broke things off on October 13, 2022, and that Herman “responded to the breakup by filing this lawsuit.”

They added that his claim that he wants to live on the property is “directly adverse” to the interests of Woods and his children.

The document filed by Woods’ attorneys noted that the couple never married and that when Herman lived in the Florida home, she was a “guest” of the golfer.