Rachel Uchitel was at the center of the Tiger Woods scandal more than a decade ago when it was revealed that she and several other women had affairs with the 15-time major champion. The situation resulted in a massive settlement for Uchitel, but she is now struggling financially.
The New York Times published a story about Uchitel on Monday. In it, the former cocktail waitress explained how she signed a nondisclosure agreement with Woods that promised her a payment of $5 million and $1 million annually for three years after.
“I’m not an idiot, I’m not a hooker, I’m not a prostitute,” Uchitel said. “I was and am a very smart girl and that’s why I negotiated $8 million, because I knew it was going to affect my life.”
The $8 million didn’t go very far, however. Uchitel explained that she only received a cut of the money due to taxes and legal fees. When she signed on to do “Celebrity Rehab” in 2010, Woods’ legal team demanded that she pay back the money she had received. Uchitel agreed to give up the additional $3 million she was owed.
Uchitel took part in HBO’s “Tiger” documentary, which was released earlier this year. She said she was threatened by Woods’ lawyer Michael Holtz over that.
“If you get a job, I’ll come after your wages. If you get married, I’ll go after your joint bank account,” Uchitel says Holtz told her. “I will come after you for the rest of your life.”
Uchitel says she has opened and closed two children’s clothing stores, and both are in debt. She filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and Holtz attended the bankruptcy meeting in May.
Tiger’s ex-wife Elin Nordegren may have blown the lid off the cheating scandal by sending fake text messages to Uchitel. A lot of people said Uchitel would be set for life after taking her “hush money,” but that obviously did not turn out to be the case.
H/T OK! Magazine
