Tiger Woods wife breaks silence
The now ex-wife of Tiger Woods has broken the silence she maintained through the torrid sex scandal that engulfed their marriage, saying she has been through "hell".
Money can't buy me happiness. Or put my family back together
Elin Nordegren spoke to People magazine, in an interview published the same week as she and Woods issued a statement confirming their divorce, which had been widely anticipated for months after his public confession of infidelity.
"I've been through hell," the Swedish-born former nanny told the publication.
"It's hard to think you have this life, and then all of a sudden - was it a lie? You're struggling because it wasn't real. But I survived, it was hard, but it didn't kill me."
Nordegren, 30, who met Woods at the age of 21 while minding children for a Swedish golfer but is now studying psychology, said she never suspected the affairs that Woods, reputed to be the world's wealthiest sports star, admitted to and publicly apologized for in February.
"I'm so embarrassed that I never suspected - not a one. For the last three and a half years, when all this was going on, I was home a lot more with pregnancies, then the children and my school," she said.
When asked about his ex-wife's comments, Woods told reporters after playing a golf event in New Jersey that he "wished her the best in everything".
"It's a sad time in our lives. And we're looking forward - in our lives and how we can help our kids the best way we possibly can. And that's the most important thing," he said.
Nordegren said she has "not watched one minute of golf" since the revelations.
FAMILY TORN APART
Woods, who has won 14 major championships, returned to the game in April after losing up to $35 million in sponsorship revenue as his private life unraveled over allegations that surfaced in late November and December about affairs between him and several women.
The revelations surfaced after a middle-of-the-night car accident at the couple's luxury Florida home where Woods crashed into a tree and a fire hydrant. Nordegren told police she smashed the car's back window with a golf club to get him out.
She told People that she did not hit Woods on the night of the car crash.
"There was never any violence inside or outside our home," she said. "The speculation that I would have used a golf club to hit him is just truly ridiculous."
Since then Nordegren said she has experienced various emotions.
Woods and Nordegren share custody of a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.
"The word betrayal isn't strong enough. I felt like my whole world had fallen apart," she said.
"I have been through the stages of disbelief and shock, to anger and ultimately grief over the loss of the family I so badly wanted for my children."
Of the settlement she received, which neither she nor Woods have disclosed but People estimated to be worth $100 million, she said it wasn't worth splitting up her family.
"Money can't buy me happiness," she said. "Or put my family back together."
Praised for maintaining her privacy through the ordeal, Nordegren, who disclosed she suffered weight and hair loss from stress before the divorce, said she wanted to protect her children.
"For my kids, I felt that (maintaining privacy) was the only normalcy I could give them, since they have a very famous dad," she said.
She conducted the interview over four visits lasting a total of 19 hours at the rented Windermere, Fla., home where she now lives with their two children.
The magazine said Nordegren had approached the publication to tell her side of the story and a spokeswoman said no one had been paid for the article.
"I felt like setting some things straight," Nordegren said in the article.
She and Woods tried for "months and months" to reconcile, she added, but "without trust and love" it wasn't possible.
"Forgiveness takes time," she said.
She will relocate to southern Florida so that her children can be close to their father.
Modipadi
She is right "Money cannot buy happiness or put your family together". But divorcing your husband is not a good solution. You should have stayed and supported him, that is what marriage worth darling, "through thick and thin". You are still going to meet another bastard like him, get married and then divorce again and again until you die.Report Abuse
Laila
@ Modipadi, how can any woman who have been cheated on by her husband with close to 100 women(so they say) all over the world reconcile with him after been caused pain. No woman should get back with her hubby for the sake of the kids or money, clearly Tiger's wife was committed to their marriage by not seeking any affection outside their marriage, he has emotionally abuse her by subjecting her to some sleezy media gossips and you call that through thick and thin. If he loved her that much and wanted to protect their family he shouldn't have done that in the first place. Love doesn't cause pain, and how can any woman survive that, clearly what they have at home with his wife and kids was not good enough. Guys have to realise that when you say I do, that's for life, you ain't got to look at other woman like you don't have a caring, loving and devoted woman @home. She did the right thing by divorcing Tiger. Look 2 Amor and Joost, they tried to work things out after that scandalous affairs, their marriage is over now. What you don't realise you guys is that we woman wan't to be happy in our marriage's and money and fame is not what we wan't. We just want the simple things in life that have lot's and lot's of love!Report Abuse
uthandile
I don't agree with you Modipadi. You can't stay with a man who bonks women left and right. Stop judging this woman. No one understands what she is going through execpt her. You are saying she should have supported him.. How do you do that if you are humiliated and hurt--and lost all the trust?Report Abuse
christopherm
If all women were to divorce their husbands for each case of infidelity i wonder how many marriages would still be left. Men, the majority are dogs, thats the reality, and good ones very scarce or already taken. So maybe it would be wise to stay single or to accept some of the nonsense that comes to being with a man. thats the unfortunate reality out there.Report Abuse
SimbaT
It's nice 2 hear chicks sayin they not after money in the 21st century...@Laila-hope u practice what u preach,simple thingz in life not money and fame...Hard 2 believe that,anyway that marriage was torn apart and with a 100mil settlement, she will live large till death do them apart....Report Abuse
maphosa2
HEY, we live to share. ladies dont be selfish! in 10 males 2 are gays, 3 are in jail, 1 is mad only 4 to deal with 10 females. must 6 left without amadoda? so thats why i say we live to shareReport Abuse
Fantjie
'Monna o sepela le lepara' Did she expect Tiger to go for days without sex? She admitted that she spent most of the time home either pregnant or looking after the other kid. She should have done a research about African Tigers.Report Abuse
SISTAM
Uthandile is right, how do you support someone who's not only slept with one person but a long list of women. Where there's no trust and love, there's no point in staying, you only hurting yourself and the kids (bcos people always say "i'm doing/was doing it for the kids")Report Abuse
DRU
@Laila,I don't believe that,when u say "woman wan't to be happy in our marriage's and money and fame is not what we wan't".Today's women love money more than anything,this days man who are not loaded don't find love that easy.Today's women want a "perfect man"(Rich,Nice body,Handsome,Educated,Powerful,Controllable)which is impossible.I don't believe this women utterances,she is happy about that money & that is what she was looking for,to be rich.And I'm sure she's darting someone secrectly at the moment.Report Abuse