The Tiger Woods case might be closed in the opinion of the Florida Highway Patrol, but not according to some of the women who reportedly have had relationships with the pro golfer.
A Los Angeles-based cocktail waitress, Jaimee Grubbs, told Us Weekly that she had a 31-month fling with the married Woods. Grubbs said she’s got hundreds of text messages that prove this, and provided Us with a voicemail Woods reportedly left Grubbs on Nov. 24 in which Woods suggests that his wife suspects he is having an affair.
But she’s not the last of the rumored mistresses. Another woman is expected to be named shortly. This one, an employee of the Bank nightclub in Las Vegas, has been in a relationship with Woods only “a couple months,” according to a source who knew of the alleged relationship.
A representative for the Bank nightclub had no comment on the matter, and the woman in question did not respond to messages left at press time.
What happens in Vegas...
If Woods has strayed beyond the bounds of his five-year marriage, not just once, but with several women, then why hasn’t it come out before now?
According to a source who is a fixture on the Vegas nightlife scene, and has seen Woods on multiple occasions, “It’s one of those hush-hush things — no one talks about Tiger’s s— in Vegas. He goes there a bunch of times a year, and he loves his life there. But he’s got some s— in Vegas.”
Why speak out now?
In the case of Grubbs, all signs point to a payday as a motivating factor. Some rumors put her Us magazine compensation in the ballpark of $100,000 (Us Weekly’s comment: “As a policy, we do not comment on obtaining stories or photo transactions.”)
U.S. & World
But some sources at media outlets who are reportedly negotiating with other women involved in this story say those numbers aren’t enough to get them to talk.
“A lot of these women make a really, really good living,” said one reporter at a weekly magazine. “They’re going to lose their jobs if they talk, so it better be a lot of money at stake. They know if they say what went on, they’ll have to sit this one out, so to speak, until they find a new job. So the stakes are high.”
What’s next for Woods?
Woods still has yet to make any additional statement, and some other athletes have some opinions on that.
On Tuesday, golfer John Daly said, “the thing that Tiger needs to look at is, whatever happened, just tell the truth.”
Daly also thinks Woods will be able to survive this controversy. “He’ll get over this. The family will get over it. They’ll move on. Golf needs him,” he said.
Woods’ good friend Charles Barkley also weighed in, telling WIP radio in Philadelphia, “I think all the secrecy, his statement apologizing — I am not perfect and stuff like that. I think they are making it worse. I mean I would love for him to come out and say: “Hey we had a disagreement. I am sorry for the uproar. Please give me my privacy.”
Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter @courtneyatmsnbc
