Tiger Woods' ex-girlfriend drops her appeal and sexual assault allegations against golfer
TAMPA, FLORIDA: Tiger Woods' ex-partner Erica Herman has backed out of her appeal and sexual assault allegations against the golfer.
As per the new court documents from Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeal, Herman, 38, filed an official notice to dismiss her appeal, which initially intended to nullify a Non-Disclosure Agreement she signed in 2017 at the start of their relationship, KVUE reports.
In May, a judge ruled that Herman could not be released from her NDA, leading Woods' ex-girlfriend to file the appeal.
Herman's initial lawsuit had cited the Speak Out Act, which allows an exception to NDAs for victims of sexual assault.
Herman claims she never accused Woods
However, Herman now alleges that she never accused Woods of any sexual harassment.
In her recent submission on Friday, Herman asserted that she has never experienced sexual harassment or abuse from Tiger Woods or any of his representatives. She maintains that she has never made any such claims.
The appeal was dismissed by order of the court on Tuesday, November 14.
When did Herman first file a lawsuit against Woods?
In December, Herman initiated legal action, contending that Tiger Woods owes her $30 million.
The basis of her claim is that Woods allegedly expelled her from his residence prematurely, violating the terms of their purported "oral agreement" that granted her the right to reside there for an additional five years.
She then filed a separate complaint on March 6, requesting to be let out of her non-disclosure agreement, citing a law that allows NDAs to be nullified in cases of sexual assault.
Herman's initial complaint stated that Woods and Herman "had a long relationship" that was both professional and personal.
Herman claimed she was "currently unsure what other information about her own life she may discuss or with whom," the complaint stated.
What did the golfer's lawyer say?
Woods' attorneys debunked Herman's claims in a filing. The golfer's lawyers said, "Ms. Herman's position is utterly meritless. It is a transparent abuse of the judicial process that undermines the purpose of the federal statute and those whom the statute seeks to protect."
Herman dropped the $30 million lawsuit over her alleged eviction in July.
The filing noted that Herman signed the NDA in 2017, binding her to settle disputes privately, "as consideration for" the opportunity "to continue to spend time with Mr. Woods."
Woods' attorneys said, "For more than six years, Ms Herman enjoyed the benefits of her agreement," in the court documents, alleging that his ex-girlfriend is "making salacious and insidious implications" of claims relating to sexual assault disputes.