Tiger Woods' Ex-Girlfriend Lindsey Vonn Speaks Out On His Car Accident
Tiger Woods was injured when he crashed his car on Feb. 23, 2021, in Los Angeles. According to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the professional golfer was "extricated from the wreck with the 'jaws of life' by Los Angeles County firefighters and paramedics, then transported to a local hospital by ambulance for his injuries."
Woods had just finished hosting the PGA Tour's Genesis Invitational the previous weekend and was in California shooting content with Golf Digest/GOLFTV, according to Golf Digest. Woods' agent Mark Steinberg confirmed the news with the outlet and said he was being treated for his injuries. "He is currently in surgery," he said, "and we thank you for your privacy and support."
Upon hearing the news, many celebrities expressed their concern for the sports star and wished him well. "Praying for my brother [Tiger Woods] as we all anxiously await more news. Thinking of him and his entire family," Alex Rodriguez tweeted. "Praying for Tiger Woods I am praying that he is okay," Queer Eye's Karamo Brown tweeted. "The photos on the news of crash are so scary. Really hope he is good."
One fellow athlete in particular who sent well wishes to Woods stood out, though, because it happened to be his ex-girlfriend Lindsey Vonn. Keep reading to see what she had to say about the news.
Lindsey Vonn is concerned about her ex Tiger Woods
Upon hearing the news of his crash, Tiger Woods' ex-girlfriend and former Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn sent out her thoughts via Twitter. "Praying for TW right now," she said with a praying emoji.
Vonn and Woods started dating in 2013, which was his first publicized romance following his cheating scandal that broke in 2009. Woods' ex-wife and mother of his two kids, Elin Nordegren, filed for divorce after he admitted to being unfaithful. Vonn and Woods dated for almost three years before releasing a statement regarding their separation in May 2015. "After nearly three years together, Tiger and I have mutually decided to end our relationship," Vonn announced on Facebook at the time, per Us Weekly. "I will always cherish the memories that we've created together. Unfortunately, we both lead incredibly hectic lives that force us to spend a majority of our time apart. I will always admire and respect Tiger. He and his beautiful family will always hold a special place in my heart."
Woods has been since linked to stylist Kristin Smith and is currently believed to be dating restaurant manager Erica Herman, according to Hollywood Life.
Tiger Woods' former mistress speaks out
Lindsey Vonn wasn't the only ex of Tiger Woods concerned about his well-being after his scary car accident. Rachel Uchitel, who is a former nightclub hostess and mistress to Woods, told E! News that she was "shaken" when she heard about the crash. "Obviously, I'm shaken to see this," she said. "I'm really hoping he walks out of there OK. Knowing Tiger, this is the last thing he wants, the entire world watching him this way. On the golf course, yes, but not like this," she continued. "The most important thing is to make sure he's OK. Thank God it's a non-life threatening injury... He's one of the greatest athletes in the world and we've been seeing him in one of the greatest sports comebacks in history. It's going to be interesting to see what happens."
Woods and Uchitel's affair was revealed in 2009 via a colorful story from the National Inquirer that included several polygraph-tested sources who spoke about the situation. One source claimed Uchitel said she and Woods were in love and her nickname for him was "Bear." In response to the story, as well as to several other claims by women regarding flings with the golfer, Woods released a statement (via CNN) saying, "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves."
Tiger Woods' ex-wife has not publicly responded to his crash
While tweets and statements flooded in to show support for Tiger Woods following his car accident, his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, has remained silent — at least publicly. Many concerned friends and fans of the professional athlete mentioned that while they sent Woods their best, they were quite concerned about his kids, who he shares with Nordegren.
Professional golfer Justin Thomas said he was "sick to his stomach" after hearing about the accident, and was deeply worried about his two kids. "It hurts to see one of your ... closest friends get in an accident," he told reporters, per CBS. "Man, I just hope he's all right. Just worried for his kids. I'm sure they're struggling," he continued. Basketball star Steph Curry told reporters he wishes his friend a "speedy recovery" at that "it's not about golf, it's about his quality of life and being there for his kids."
While his kids have largely remained out of the spotlight, Woods' youngest child, Charlie Woods, made his golfing debut alongside his father at the PNC Championship in December 2020. He was 11 years old at the time. "It's so much fun to see him enjoying the game,” Woods said at the time, per ESPN. "That's the whole idea. Enjoy hitting shots and creating those shots. It's so cool for me to see him enjoy the sport and feeling the shots and hitting it as solid as he is hitting it.”