Tiger Woods’s girlfriend, Erica Herman, is seeking to nullify a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) following a six-year relationship with the professional golfer.
The NDA was signed while Ms Herman was involved in a personal and professional relationship with Woods, but she believes it should be nullified.
Lawyers for Ms Herman are pursuing this under the Sexual Harassment Act 1921, which allows individuals to limit the scope of NDAs in sexual assault or harassment claims.
The filing does not make any specific allegations against Woods nor does it provide details about the information Ms Herman might want to disclose, but alleges the trust, controlled by Woods, has been “aggressive” in enforcing the NDA.
The complaint comes after Ms Herman brought separate proceedings against Woods, in October, where she claimed she is owed around $30m (£25m) and was locked out of the home in Martin County, Florida, that she shared with the golfer.
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To support this, Ms Herman would need to divulge facts that would put her in breach of the NDA, as clauses dictate that if there is a dispute between the pair, the parties need to try and resolve it via arbitration (outside of court) first.
Ms Herman’s latest complaint seeks clarification from the court on whether the NDA is valid and enforceable.
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If the NDA is nullified, Ms Herman could pursue a claim in court and bypass arbitration.
If the NDA is deemed valid, Ms Herman is seeking for the court to define whether she can disclose “facts giving rise to various legal claims she believes she has”.
The complaint also requests the court determine Ms Herman’s “freedom to disclose… her own experiences” and “photographs and recordings of herself and her family members”.
The court filing read that Woods initially executed the NDA as Ms Herman is a former employee.
She was seen regularly with Woods at major championships, but was absent at events towards the end of last year, and at the Genesis Invitational, which Woods hosted at Riviera three weeks ago.
The pair have not publicly announced their separation.
Woods’s manager at Excel Sports Management, Mark Steinberg, didn’t immediately respond for comment.
