Tiger Woods' former girlfriend has withdrawn her lawsuits against the golf superstar and the trust that owns his Florida mansion, stating that she never accused him of sexual harassment despite her attorney's previous claims.
Erica Herman's attorney, Benjamin Hodas, filed a brief notice in state court last week announcing her voluntary dismissal of the $30 million lawsuit against the trust "with prejudice," which means the claim cannot be brought up again. Herman had alleged that Woods had promised her the right to live in the 30,000-square-foot beachfront mansion until 2026, but unexpectedly evicted her last year.
"In dismissing this action, Erica Herman states that she was never a victim of sexual harassment or sexual abuse at the hands of Tiger Woods or any of his representatives, and she has never made such a claim," wrote Hodas, who had previously accused Woods of sexually harassing his client.
A separate lawsuit against Woods was dismissed by a judge in May, and recent court records show that an appeal of that decision was also dropped this week. There is no mention of a settlement in the court documents, although it is possible that a private settlement was reached.
Hodas did not return a call and email seeking comment Thursday. Woods' attorney, J.B. Murray, declined to comment.
Herman was Woods' girlfriend from 2015 until October 2022, moving into his $54 million mansion north of Palm Beach in 2016. She managed his Palm Beach County restaurant before and during the first years of their romantic relationship, and she signed a nondisclosure agreement in 2017 that barred her from discussing their relationship publicly. It also required her to take any legal disagreements with Woods to private arbitration and not court.
Hodas claimed in a May court hearing that Herman didn't remember signing the document but that if she did it was under duress, having been told she would be fired from the restaurant if she didn't.
Hodas argued the nondisclosure agreement was unenforceable under a new federal law that says such contracts can be voided when sexual abuse or sexual harassment occurred. He contended that Woods' alleged threat to fire her was harassment.
"A boss imposing different work conditions on his employee because of their sexual relationship is sexual harassment," Hodas wrote in a May filing.
Circuit Judge Elizabeth Metzger rejected Herman's attempt to quash the nondisclosure agreement later in May, calling her allegations "vague and threadbare."
"Despite being given the opportunity to provide factual evidence to support any claims of sexual assault or harassment, Herman has chosen not to do so," stated Metzger.
According to Forbes Magazine, Woods' net worth is estimated to be $1.1 billion. In 2017, Woods transferred ownership of the mansion to the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust, a trust he established with himself and his two children as the sole beneficiaries.
