Story of Tiger Woods’ Parking Lot Liaison Reportedly Killed with Law Firm’s Help
More than two years ago, Tiger Woods’ law firm helped negotiate a deal that squelched a potential National Enquirer story about a liaison with a restaurant worker, according to a published report.
The law firm is Lavely & Singer, the Wall Street Journal reports. The 15-lawyer Los Angeles firm is known for its aggressive representation of celebrities in disputes over controversial articles.
The deal involved Woods’ agreement to an unprecedented level of access to his private life for an article in Men’s Fitness, a magazine owned American Media Inc., the same corporation that owns the National Enquirer, the story says.
According to the Wall Street Journal, an Enquirer worker followed Woods to a church parking lot and took pictures as the golfer met a woman in his car. The photos were of poor quality and it was difficult to make out what the couple was doing, a source told the newspaper. The Enquirer then contacted Woods and the woman thought to be in the photo, restaurant worker Mindy Lawton. Soon afterward, Woods’ representatives offered Men’s Fitness the interview if the Enquirer killed the story, the newspaper account says.
The contract hammered out by the law firm detailed guidelines for their interview and photo shoot, and guaranteed that the Enquirer story would not be printed, according to an anonymous source who viewed the document and talked to the newspaper.
The law firm’s name partners, Jay Lavely Jr. and Martin Singer, refused the Wall Street Journal’s request for comment. American Media said in a written statement to the newspaper that descriptions of the deal were inaccurate and false, but did not detail the inaccuracies.
Lavely & Singer has helped several celebrities handle difficult situations, the National Law Journal reports. Its clients include actor Nicholas Cage, involved in a dispute with his ex-girlfriend, and reality television star Kate Gosselin, who is in the midst of a contentious divorce.
