Tiger Woods’ ex-girlfriend Erica Herman fighting NDA, cites sexual assault law; seeking up to $30 million

Erica Herman, Tiger Woods’ ex-girlfriend, is fighting a non-disclosure agreement with the famed golfer according to court documents filed in Martin County on Monday.

Herman, who dated Woods for about 5½ years and worked as the manager of his Jupiter, Florida, restaurant, filed a complaint in October 2022 under the Florida Residential Landlord Tenant Act after Woods ended the couple’s relationship earlier that month according to court filings. The couple had been living together in Woods’ Hobe Sound home in southern Martin County since 2017.

In the complaint, Herman was seeking up to $30 million in damages as well as restitution for $40,000 cash she claims was misappropriated from the property upon her eviction. According to a story by USA TODAY, Herman also filed a lawsuit against a homestead trust he controls. Herman also claims to have an oral agreement that she could stay in the house for up to five years.

“Plaintiff has continually demanded to be allowed back into her home, but Defendant’s agents have refused,” said the lawsuit against the trust, which was filed in October but has not been previously reported until Wednesday.

The suit against the trust said she was forced out by “trickery” by agents of the trust, who convinced her to pack a suitcase for a short vacation. When she arrived at the airport, they told her she had been locked out of her residence, in violation of the oral tenancy agreement and in violation of Florida law, the suit states.

In December, Woods’ private trust filed a motion to compel arbitration for the dispute under the terms of the couple’s NDA.

According to Monday’s filing, Herman, 39, says the private trust is aggressively and wrongfully enforcing the NDA.

Herman is seeking clarification from the court as she is “unsure whether she may disclose, among other things, facts giving rise to various legal claims she believes she has. She is also currently unsure what other information about her own life she may discuss or with whom.”

Herman argues in her legal documents the NDA should be declared unenforceable. The arguments include a citation of the federal Speak Out Act, which prohibits the enforceability of an NDA agreed to before a dispute arises involving sexual assault or sexual harassment.

No specific allegations of sexual assault or harassment have been made against the 47-year-old Woods. Herman is represented by Benjamin T. Hodas from the Fisher Potter Hodas PL law firm.

In an unrelated incident in May 2019, Herman, Woods and The Woods restaurant were part of a wrongful death lawsuit, accusing them of “over-serving a young man alcohol who they knew was suffering from the disease of alcoholism.”

Nicholas Immesberger, a bartender at The Woods, was killed in a car crash in December 2018 after leaving the restaurant.

Woods and Herman were later dismissed from the lawsuit.

Woods’ last public appearance was about three weeks ago at the Genesis Invitational, a tournament his foundation runs. He finished tied for 45th. Last week, Tiger announced he would not be playing in The Players Championship, which starts Thursday.

Tiger is expected to play the Masters at Augusta National Golf Course April 6-9.

Brent Schrotenboer of USA TODAY contributed to this article.