Elin Nordegren Suffered The Tragic Loss Of An Ex-Boyfriend In 2019

Elin Nordegren was married to Tiger Woods from 2004 through 2010. The two ended their relationship after Nordegren found out that Woods had been having an affair — not just with one woman, but with multiple women. These days, Nordegren and Woods co-parent their two kids, Charlie and Sam. "They're friends now. Everything that happened in the past is in the past. They both decided to be adults and to do what was best for the kids. So they get along really well. Tiger says really great things about Elin," a source told People magazine. Following her divorce, Nordegren went on to date Chris Cline. 

Cline, a billionaire originally from West Virginia, and Nordegren were actually neighbors before their friendship blossomed into something romantic, according to People. "Elin was introduced to Chris by a local friend because they seem to have a lot in common. They both have children, like to keep their personal lives quiet, believe in philanthropy, and enjoy leisure outdoor activity," a source told the outlet in 2013. The two were first linked in 2013, but they split in 2017, according to Us Weekly. Details of their split were sparse at best, but Nordegren didn't seem to miss a beat. She managed to stay under the radar and enjoy an ultra-private life with her kids in Florida. But around the time that she found love again, she received some heartbreaking news: Cline had been killed in a helicopter crash, The New York Times reported.

On July 4, 2019, Chris Cline had been traveling by helicopter when the chopper went down off the coast of the Bahamas. A group of seven people, including the pilots and Cline's daughter, Kameron, were headed to Fort Lauderdale at the time, and they all died in the crash, per CBS News. "We are all so deeply saddened to announce the deaths of our beloved father Chris and our sister Kameron. This loss will be felt by all those who had the privilege of having known them," Cline's family said in a statement given to the Daily Mail. "Chris was one of West Virginia's strongest sons, an American original, full of grit, integrity, intelligence and humor, a testament that our hopes and dreams are achievable when we believe and commit ourselves to action," the statement continued.

Nordegren never spoke out about the accident or the death of her ex-boyfriend. According to Radar Online, she was in Sweden at the time of the accident and was unable to attend the funeral services. "Elin called Chris' cousin to let the family know she unfortunately couldn't make it," a source told the outlet. Meanwhile, Nordegren had moved on romantically and was dating former football player Jordan Cameron — and news outlets had reported that she was pregnant. The former model was seen with her hand on her baby bump on photos supplied by Radar Online.

In June 2021, Bloomberg reported that the pilots taking Chris Cline and friends back to the United States flew the aircraft "illegally." Following a thorough investigation, it was documented that pilot David Jude was suffering from "somatogravic illusion," which means he thought the aircraft was climbing but it was actually falling. With limited visibility, the sensation within the body can feel similar, according to Boldmethod. The NTSB noted that Jude didn't respond to co-pilot Geoff Painter who pointed it out, "likely due to his continued confusion about the helicopter's position in space and his misunderstanding of the information on the helicopter's flight instruments."

Three years after the accident that took Cline's life, his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit, according to WPTV. The plaintiffs believe the pilots were "recklessly and/or carelessly certified" and had "dangerous, deadly and unsafe deficiencies," according to the court documents uploaded by the station.