Tiger Woods's ex-girlfriend Erica Herman loses court bid to quash non-disclosure agreement
A Florida judge has ruled in favour of Tiger Woods, rejecting his former girlfriend Erica Herman's request to nullify a non-disclosure agreement she signed when they began dating in 2017.
Key points:
- Erica Herman asked a judge to void the agreement, citing a recent law that limits enforcing such contracts in sexual harassment and assault cases
- She did not accused Tiger Woods of harassment or assault in the court papers
- The judge said Ms Herman had not provided specifics for any claim relating to sexual assault or harassment
Citing court documents, US media report that Ms Herman had asked a judge to void the agreement, pointing to a recent law that limits enforcing such agreements in sexual harassment and assault cases.
Ms Herman did not accuse Woods of harassment or assault in the court papers.
However, in a cover sheet accompanying the complaint, her lawyer Benjamin Hodas checked "yes" as to whether the case involved allegations of sexual abuse.
She also claimed that "because of the aggressive use of the Woods NDA against her", she was unsure whether she could disclose, among other things, facts giving rise to legal claims she believed she had.
In Wednesday's ruling, Judge Elizabeth Metzger said Ms Herman's claims were "implausibly pled", granting Woods's requests to compel arbitration, the New York Times reported.
The judge wrote that Ms Herman could have provided factual specificity for any claim relating to sexual assault or sexual harassment, but "she has not done so", according to the newspaper.
A lawyer for Ms Herman could not be immediately reached, while an agent for Woods did not respond to an email request for comment outside regular business hours.
Reuters