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Tiger Woods Admits Transgressions, Letting Family Down
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 2, 2009
Modified Dec 2, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 2, 2009
Modified Dec 2, 2009
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With more tabloid reports of women claiming to have had affairs with him, golf superstar Tiger Woods posted a message on his website today, admitting, "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone."
The 33-year-old married father of two adds:
Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.
But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions.
What about Chinese news-made CGI interpretations of his car crash (video after the jump)?
While NYC nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel denied any relationship with Woods, yesterday, US Weekly interviewed a LA cocktail waitress (and girlfriend of a reality show contestant), Jaimee Grubbs, who said she had a long affair with Woods—she says they were supposed to see each other earlier this year but his wife went ahead and had their son—and even provided a voicemail purportedly from him, asking her to change her voicemail greeting, "I need you to do me a huge favor. Can you please take your name off your phone? My wife went through my phone and may be calling you. So if you can, please take your name off that. Just have it as a number on the voicemail. You got to do this for me. Huge. Quickly. Bye." (Pat Kiernan opined, "I’ve heard enough Tiger Woods interviews to say it sure sounds like him.")
The former editor of Men's Fitness tells the Post that his bosses at American Media, which also owns the National Enquirer, agreed to kill a planned National Enquirer 2007 story about an affair in exchange for a rare Tiger Woods cover story for Men's Fitness. Neal Boulton said, "[American Media CEO] David Pecker knew about Tiger Woods' infidelity a long time ago. [Pecker] traded silence for a Men's Fitness cover... Tiger Woods doesn't do [posed] covers of magazines." American Media claims Boulton is a "disgruntled" former employee.
Tagged
affair
CGI
Elin Nordegren
golf
gossip
rachel uchitel
scandal
tiger woods
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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