Former Tiger Woods mistress opens up about the affair: 'He was my Tiger'

More than ten years after her affair with Tiger Woods became public knowledge, Rahcel Uchitel finally opened up about their relationship. Uchitel said she wanted to finally tell her side of the story because of the way she’s been portrayed by the media. On HBO’s two-part docuseries Tiger, Uchitel tells of a deeply personal relationship that was about much more than just sex.
“So many people put him on a pedestal, and here he was in my bed, and he was my Tiger,” Uchitel said. She later added, “He was like a fountain. He just wanted to talk and talk and talk. He told me a lot about his childhood, his dad, and that he was sick of trying to hide who he was. But he was so scared of the real Tiger not living up to the Tiger that everybody else thinks he is.”
Uchitel said that a couple days before Thanksgiving in 2009, as the National Enquirer was about to publish a story about her relationship with Woods, she spoke to Woods’s now ex-wife Elin Nordegren and convinced her that there was no sexual relationship. But on Thanksgiving, Nordegren figured out the truth, proving her suspicions when she called Uchitel from Woods’s phone. Later that night, Woods got into a car accident shortly after leaving his house that would lead to his affair with Uchitel being exposed to the world. Uchitel said that was life-changing.
“This story was so huge, that was the end of my life as I knew it,” Uchitel said. “There now were probably 45 to 50 paparazzi outside of my apartment telling me that I was a homewrecker, that I was a whore, saying I hope you get AIDS and die.”

Video Transcript

RACHEL UCHITEL: So many people put him on such a pedestal, and here he was in my bed. And he was my Tiger.

- Rachel Uchitel, one of Tiger Woods's former mistresses, appeared on HBO'S two part docuseries "Tiger," where she divulged details of their relationship. According to Uchitel, their relationship was not just sexual.

RACHEL UCHITEL: He was like a fountain. He just wanted to talk and talk and talk. He told me a lot about his childhood, his dad, and that he was sick of trying to hide who he was.

- Uchitel also spoke about a lengthy phone call she had with Woods's now ex-wife Elin Nordegren ahead of a "National Enquirer" story about her and Tiger's affair.

RACHEL UCHITEL: We had an extensive 30-minute conversation, Elin and I, convincing her that I was not having a sexual relationship with Tiger. Between this stupid story and the phone call with Elin, I remember thinking, oh, my God, we're going to slide right over this.

- Woods's 2009 car crash led to his affair with Uchitel being exposed, which she says was life-changing.

RACHEL UCHITEL: This story was so huge. That was the end of my life as I knew it-- probably 45 to 50 paparazzi outside of my apartment telling me that I was a home wrecker, that I was a whore.

- Uchitel says she was unable to reach Woods after their affair became public, and that when he finally reached out to her, it was to talk about a confidentiality settlement and, according to Uchitel, to make a gesture of love.

RACHEL UCHITEL: He said to me, get as much as you can. And I think, to him, that was his only way to love me at the time.