I recently read a report stating that Tiger Woods’ wife, Elin Nordegren, is now getting “gangsta” with the golfer. In a shocking revelation, it is claimed that Nordegren is now requesting 100% custody over Tiger’s children and wants half of his personal fortune, estimated at $600 million dollars.
The media is reporting that Tiger’s wife is disappointed that the golfer has not kept his promise of seeking help for his “problems,” and that he is dealing with the demons that come from his use of the pain medication Vicodin and the sleep medication Ambien.
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Tiger’s wife getting half would be shocking to me for the following reasons:
1) Wasn’t there a prenup? Call me old fashioned, but it seems that if a prenuptial agreement is signed, it should stand up in court. Apparently, the incidents that have taken place in the marriage, as well as recent negotiations to reset the terms of the prenup have led Elin to feel that she can get more out of her husband. When you consider athletes like Derrick Jeter who refuse to get married, I think we now know why.
2) Who was the one playing golf again? The idea that someone who didn’t earn the wealth can take half of it is disturbing to any man or woman who has worked hard to earn their money. Oprah never married Stedman, and some wonder if her decision has to do with the fact that she doesn’t want to share the billion dollar product of her 30-years of labor. I’m not sure what the right answer is, but I do know that whatever Woods did in the marriage, I have a hard time imagining that it would be worth $300 million dollars in “grief money.”
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3) I guess $20 million dollars just isn’t what it used to be. While some might cheer for Elin Nordegren’s demands, she doesn’t get much sympathy from some of us. The only time $20 million dollars (which the prenup promises her) doesn’t seem like very much money is when you know that you can get much more. On one hand, one can argue that the “measly” $20 million promised to Nordegren in the original prenup was insufficient relative to the wealth that Woods possesses. On the other hand, you can argue that she has nothing to complain about.
No matter how this debacle ends up, the Tiger Woods marital experience is going to change how celebrity marriages happen for good. Celebs are going to reconsider tying the knot, and when they do, they are going to make sure their contracts are iron clad. If you’d worked hard to earn $600 million dollars and someone tried to take half, would you just give it all away?
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. For more information, please visit BoyceWatkins.com
