This week, former CEO of American Media Inc. CEO David Pecker testified during the Donald Trump hush money trial that he coerced Tiger Woods into agreeing to be on the cover of Men’s Fitness with photos implicating him in an extramarital affair. Woods ultimately did it, but it doesn’t sound like Woods took too kindly to being blackmailed like that.
Following Pecker’s testimony, a member of Woods’ “inner circle” gave a little more context to the situation, revealing that Tiger Woods was “totally blackmailed” but didn’t feel like he had any other options.
“It was a total shakedown,” a member of Woods’ inner circle told The Post. “He was totally blackmailed, but what could he do? He had to play ball. He didn’t have any other choice.”
Woods was worried about his reputation and his marriage with then-wife Elin Nordegren, who was in the third trimester of her pregnancy with Woods’ daughter Sam Alexis.
“Tiger would ordinarily have had nothing to do with Men’s Fitness,” the source told The Post. “He only spoke to a handful of trusted journalists. But the Enquirer had him over a barrel. He hated it, and I know it stressed him out, but he did what he had to do.”
Woods took the deal, but the affair ultimately went public two years later, anyway.
