The Truth About LeAnn Rimes And Tiger Woods' Relationship

While there is no doubt that LeAnn Rimes' fans have been following and supporting her throughout the years thanks to her successful music career, as she was one of the first country singers to successfully cross over to the pop scene back in the early aughts, the "How Do I Live" singer has also made headlines for sordid reasons, too. When Rimes' secret affair with actor Eddie Cibrian made the cover of almost every tabloid and gossip blog, the internet painted her as a home wrecker who tore Cibrian's marriage to former model Brandi Glanville apart. To make matters worse, Rimes was married to her ex-husband, Dean Sheremet, when she met and fell in love with Cibrian on the set of their Lifetime movie, "Northern Lights." 

Back in 2012, Rimes broke down in tears during an interview with E! News, saying she did not deserve to be shamed the way she was. She said (via the New York Daily News): "I never, ever, in my heart want to hurt anyone, but I don't think anything can separate anything that's super-connected. You might have had so many wonderful things with each other's spouses in your relationships, but something along the way broke that," she explained. "You can't break what's broken already."

And while the drama between Rimes, Cibrian, and Glanville certainly did offer a lot of tabloid fodder at the time, little do some fans know that the chart-topper once dated another high-profile name long before she fell in love with her first or second husband for that matter.

According to Us Weekly, country crooner LeAnn Rimes dated none other than Tiger Woods back in 2002. This was back when Rimes was at the top of the charts thanks to her best-selling album "Twisted Angel" and hits such as "Life Goes On," per Billboard. One source close to the situation said that Rimes and Woods went out a few times before she eventually tied the knot with her ex-husband, Dean Sheremet, that same year. The tipster told Us Weekly, "They hooked up and everything. Tiger was really into her. He likes those blondes!"

However, one of the reasons why their relationship did not last was because Rimes' father put his foot down due to their age difference. The source said that apparently Rimes' father almost had a "heart attack" when he found out that the then-teen was dating the pro golfer, who is seven years her senior. As many fans know, Woods went on to marry Swedish model Elin Nordegren — yes, another blonde — one year later in 2004, per CNN, and while neither he nor Rimes have ever spoken out about their relationship, a lot of fans and critics alike have noticed that they have this one thing in common.

Back in 2009, Tiger Woods' marriage — and maybe even his reputation — came crashing down when his wife Elin Nordegren caught wind of her husband's multiple affairs behind her back, according to the New York Post. And while it's Woods who is the one usually swinging golf clubs in the family, Nordegren supposedly chased her husband around their multi-million dollar home in Windermere, Florida with one when she found out about his mistresses. If that were not enough, she also used a golf club to smash the window of Woods' SUV after he crashed into a tree near their home that same night, per the Orlando Sentinel. However, Nordegren slammed reports that suggested the events of that night had gotten the worst of her. She told People, "There was never any violence inside or outside our home. The speculation that I would have used a golf club to hit him is just truly ridiculous."

As LeAnn Rimes admitted in 2012 (via the New York Daily News), her behavior in the moment was also less than ideal, as she wished she had "handled it differently" for everyone's sake. "I know in this situation it's gonna take some time, all I wish is that everyone that was hurt, that we hurt, that I hurt, can be happy."

And while Rimes' affair with Eddie Cibrian and the rumors surrounding their romance never reached the same level as the pro golfer's, her scandal is the one thing she does have in common with Woods, as they both made headlines for their infidelities in the same year. Thankfully, both Woods and Rimes are in much better places today, both personally and professionally.