Their marriage hit rock bottom when Tiger’s cheating scandal came to light, as multiple women came forward claiming they had sexual relationships with the athlete.
“I’ve been through h—,” Elin confessed to People. “It’s hard to think you have this life, and then all of a sudden – was it a lie? You’re struggling because it wasn’t real. But I survived. It was hard, but it didn’t kill me.”
Sharing her reaction upon learning her then-husband’s clandestine romances, she said, “[I was in] absolute shock and disbelief. I felt stupid as more things were revealed — how could I not have known anything? The word betrayal isn’t strong enough. I felt like my whole world had fallen apart. It seemed that my world, as I thought it was, had never existed. I felt embarrassed for having been so deceived. I felt betrayed by many people around me.”
They filed for divorce after six years of marriage and finalized it on August 23, 2010. Tiger paid Elin $100million in their divorce settlement.
“Money doesn’t make you happy, but I have to be honest: It is making some things easier,” she shared. “I have the opportunity to be with my children as much as I want, and I am able to travel to see my family and also have them come here as often as I like.”
She told People, “I was always going to have a career – with or without Tiger. Now that I will not be traveling and following Tiger around to golf tournaments, I will be able to finish my studies faster. Then I want to find a way to contribute and make a positive difference in people’s lives.”