14 DAY TRIAL // Ever since Tiger Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant and then into a tree on a neighbor’s lawn over the weekend, the media scrutiny has been extremely harsh. Talk of domestic abuse and of him having affair is still making the rounds and, from the looks of it, it’s not going to die down anytime soon. In an open letter posted on his official website, Tiger apologizes for what this has done to this family and to the fans who have supported him all along.
For the record, the golfer doesn’t even come close to admitting that he’s been having an affair, which is the reported cause of the altercation he had with his wife and that eventually led to the aforementioned crash, but many see in his words of having failed his family a very veiled admission. But an admission nonetheless. Whether that be the case or not, Woods stresses that the media should understand that some personal issues should not require the release of a press statement, let alone this kind of intrusion from the paparazzi.
“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. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone. Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means,” Tiger begins his letter by saying.
The bottom line is that, while he is well aware he is a public person who can generate much interest for matters pertaining to his personal life, Tiger Woods can’t simply stand aside and let the media rip his family apart. The right to deal with whatever problems they’re having is something that he shouldn’t even speak of because it should be a common-sense thing. Therefore, the golfer is asking for the right to have a personal life, which also means that tabloids should stop trying to find dirt on him and then publish gossip – gossip that is only doing more damage to his family.
Woods concludes the letter by promising his family he will be a better father and husband in the future, and thanking his many fans for their support through this. “Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it’s difficult. I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology,” he says.