Althouse: What is, at long last, driving Elin Nordegren to divorce Tiger Woods?

April 14, 2010

What is, at long last, driving Elin Nordegren to divorce Tiger Woods?

Supposedly, her friends are saying the last straw was that Nike ad, the one with him staring blankly while the voice of his dead father gives him a talking-to.

47 comments:

Opus One Media said...: Perhaps it was a 3 iron and not a driver driving her...just a hunch.

I don't think that saving the marriage for the kids' sakes is in the mix and in liklihood she looked around and found his rehab to be a forever process.

In the end exactly how much forgive and forget is there in any one human being.; 4/14/10, 2:23 PM
chickelit said...: Tiger, Tiger, earnings blight...; 4/14/10, 2:25 PM
Hoosier Daddy said...: I'm trying to figure what drove her to marry him to begin with.

Other than his millions and her being a nanny at the time...; 4/14/10, 2:26 PM
Dustin said...: She's a spouse beater, they say.

I honestly have no idea. For all I know, this is all an elaborate hoax.

It's none of my business, but I would agree with the concept of being extremely disturbed by your spouse making that asinine commercial.

More disturbed, however, but the amazingly depraved cheating.

It's none of our business. If they work it out or not, if she has her day in court for hitting Tiger or not... whatever. But I will say that people who buy Nikes should consider that they look like idiots.; 4/14/10, 2:26 PM
MadisonMan said...: I love how that's phrased in the tabloid: Friends are understood to be saying.; 4/14/10, 2:29 PM
rachel tot said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/14/10, 2:50 PM
Unknown said...: Have to agree with House, although I think the actual decision has been in the works for some time. She may possibly have been waiting to see how rehab went or, more likely, it may have just taken time with the lawyer to find how she wants this to proceed through the system.

I don't think the ad has a thing to do with it. When she picked up the 3 iron, the decision was 90% made. I think Hoosier's wrong about the money - if that were the case, she'd have simply shrugged it off, she gets half now where she had it all before.; 4/14/10, 2:51 PM
Scott said...: "If you marry for money, you earn every cent."; 4/14/10, 2:54 PM
rachel tot said...: She's so far beyond hurt now. If she were angry or if she hated him, they might still have a chance to work it out

Indifference is the opposite of love. Some of us find that out the hard way and end up cherishing the lesson, not the person.

All the best to Elin, Tiger and the kids. Here's wishing the best to all of us damned and delightful dysfunctionals. Life's full of folly... is it to make the glimpses of glory all the better, or is it a matter of it just being what it is?; 4/14/10, 2:55 PM
Mark O said...: You could hear in his voice before the ad at the presser that they were through. I doubt this silly thing did anything more than confirm how thoughtless he is. As if she needed more.

What, at long last? Well, maybe, just maybe, she remembers they have children and actually cares about their relationship with him, even though he is a vivid dickhead.; 4/14/10, 3:12 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: I do not know the answer to this puzzling question.; 4/14/10, 3:15 PM
bagoh20 said...: I told her there was no chance for us until she dumped him. So there you have it, call the Enquirer. I have no further statement without cash up front.; 4/14/10, 3:16 PM
traditionalguy said...: It was only a starter marriage for Elin anyway. She will find good many friends, until Tiger's money runs out. Then she could find a new husband on the LPGA tour.; 4/14/10, 3:26 PM
Brian said...: I used the phrase "bootyism" on a previous blog-entry here. No, I can't take credit for the plane with the banner at the Masters.

I guess I should record my Dad giving advice on how to handle possible scandals in the future. Just in case.; 4/14/10, 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...: Maybe because his true arrogant prick-ness is really coming through.; 4/14/10, 3:30 PM
David said...: Elin is now officially "over Tiger."

Not the only one.

Just Do It (the divorce) and put us all out of our misery.; 4/14/10, 3:32 PM
David said...: Advice to Tiger: Drag out the divorce. Your income level is going to crash and burn no matter what, so better to have it crater before Elin's compensation is determined.; 4/14/10, 3:33 PM
David said...: The moment I saw the ad I said "Did Elin agree to this?" Then it dawned. He never asked her.; 4/14/10, 3:35 PM
KCFleming said...: Lacking the concept of sin, there can be no redemption, except for coupons and states which charge glass bottle deposits.

All that is left is positioning, hence the ad. One merely portrays what regret might look like, were remorse actually felt and penitence pursued.

One wonders how long we can survive on the bones of discarded religions.; 4/14/10, 3:40 PM
rachel tot said...: "Putt a tiger in the tank" sounds vaguely commercial.. Maybe there's yet another endorsement for Mr. Woods.; 4/14/10, 3:41 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: How about the rest of society? It doesn't really condemn his behavior, at best relegating it to TMZ status. Few really care about her humiliation, betrayal, the fracturing of matrimonial and social contracts, etc., but, rather, show real interest only in whether or not the scumbag is still successful at golf - in which case, like Oprah, they'll ignore everything else the liar has done. That tells the injured spouse everything they need to know about what to expect - from anyone - when the chips are really down.

What's driving Elin to divorce? You are.

That's what drove me to do it.; 4/14/10, 3:42 PM
Richard Dolan said...: Can't improve on what Pogo had to say.

It would have taken a strong man not to let all the adulation and hype go to his head. Tiger couldn't and didn't. There was no 'center' to him that could hold, or that he could look to now in an effort to redeem himself. Pogo is exactly right in phrasing it as Tiger's lack of any concept of sin, which would have required him to have a concept of a law higher than his own ego. A real shame.; 4/14/10, 4:01 PM
Sara (Pal2Pal) said...: I say good riddance to her. She was mad because he returned to golf, well boo hoo. I notice she won't have any trouble taking out the door with her the $200 million that golf provided. Oh and he didn't win, yet after a 4 1/2 mo. layoff he still finished 11 under par. Nothing to be ashamed of there.

As to the ad, what was it that made her so mad? It was an ad meant to chastise Tiger, not her. Since she seems to revel in public embarrassment to her husband, I would think she'd love that ad.

Anyone who takes a lethal weapon like a golf club to their spouse's head should be in jail, not getting paid, no matter what the provocation.

I cry no tears for this woman. She is beautiful and now very rich and she'll have another poor sucker on her leash soon enough as she plays the tragic card.; 4/14/10, 4:07 PM
GMay said...: She stands to get something like 200 million out of this? I'm having a hard time with the sympathy factor.; 4/14/10, 4:08 PM
ricpic said...: Elin and bagoh20! Breaking news as only this site can bring it.; 4/14/10, 4:08 PM
bagoh20 said...: So, about all that apology and I'm gonna change stuff: No use now. He's back on the market and AVAILABLE! Where da white women at? Party time.; 4/14/10, 4:22 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Sara (Pal2Pal) and GMay make my point. Sara even adds "no matter what the provocation" to make the message clear:

You can do anything to a spouse - anything - and these unethical losers will let you get away with it, and keep the money, too!

Sara even bought into the ad - it's not designed to sell shoes but to "chastise" the pitch man! - an opinion only an idiot, with no concept of commerce, would hold.

GMay and Sara will "cry no tears for this woman." Fine. Create the environment you want to live in:

I, too, will cry no tears when such an attitude puts you in a similar position.; 4/14/10, 4:27 PM
rhhardin said...: It's good news for Tiger.; 4/14/10, 4:29 PM
cryptical said...: There's a pre-nup that was allegedly modified recently. If what's reported is correct she'll get much less than $200 million.

She'll still get enough to afford a brace of Rare Clumbers.; 4/14/10, 4:31 PM
Joe said...: The ad coincided with the revelation that he was banging the next door neighbor's daughter.

I think Elin got tired of playing Tiger-whack-a-whore.

"I swear, she was the last one, well, er, okay, there was that one too, but she's the last one, well...."

Now, what was her phone number...? (For $200 million, my wife won't mind. She already said I could stand in line for Sandra Bullock.); 4/14/10, 4:43 PM
William said...: The ad was actually aimed at a test demographic of Hooters' waitresses. This key demo finds that the ad makes Tiger appear more sympathetic. Tiger, therefore, will launch saturation ads in all tour cities and Las Vegas.; 4/14/10, 4:53 PM
Anonymous said...: Yea,

It wasn't his harem of skankwhores in every major city enabled by his own personal madam.

It was a Nike commercial drove her over the edge.

Uh huh.; 4/14/10, 4:55 PM
Joe said...: You never know; perhaps that's Tiger's expression when he gets blow jobs.; 4/14/10, 4:57 PM
kentuckyliz said...: Was it the commercial, or all the parodies?; 4/14/10, 5:30 PM
Penny said...: Whatever would news sources print if "unnamed government sources" absconded with "unidentified friends"?; 4/14/10, 5:46 PM
kjbe said...: I wonder of she senses that Tiger's priorities side more with his golf, his sponsors and his handlers than with his family, because that's what it looks like. She's best to just let him be.; 4/14/10, 6:04 PM
Anonymous said...: He's a bro, she's not.

He has 500 million, soon he won't.

Chances are very high that $he'll live happily ever after.; 4/14/10, 6:31 PM
GMay said...: "I, too, will cry no tears when such an attitude puts you in a similar position."

What the hell are you talking about? You think I give two shits about Tiger's personal life? You think I care about yours? You think Tiger cares about yours?

Those members of "society" who are wringing their hands over this matter are the ones with the problem. Forgive me if I can't get all worked up about every single marital injustice in the world.

His soon-to-be ex is about to come out of this deal better off than the vast majority of exes in a divorce and will be more secure than the vast majority of people in the world, so excuse me while I direct my sympathies to those who deserve it.

Get over yourself.; 4/14/10, 7:25 PM
Kirk Parker said...: MM,

"I love how that's phrased in the tabloid: Friends are understood to be saying."

I wonder how it reads in the original French?; 4/14/10, 7:54 PM
Anonymous said...: Go forth, Eldrick. Fuck with abandon. You shouldn't have gotten married in the first place and hopefully people will stop gloating over your problems now.; 4/14/10, 8:57 PM
Anonymous said...: Don't blame her. It was cheesy.; 4/14/10, 9:44 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: "What the hell are you talking about? You think I give two shits about Tiger's personal life? You think I care about yours? You think Tiger cares about yours?"

As I've said, many times, whenever anyone admits "I don't care" they're giving others the freedom to do the same - especially to them. All I'm saying is "enjoy", and I hope I get to play a role in fucking you up one day:

I love being a part of poetic justice.; 4/14/10, 9:58 PM
kjbe said...: Tiger's being a thick-headed dimwit who's being too slow in changing his ways. Often it's the people we love, or who love us, who lose patience, in the process.; 4/14/10, 10:05 PM
GMay said...: TCE says: "As I've said, many times, whenever anyone admits "I don't care" they're giving others the freedom to do the same - especially to them. All I'm saying is "enjoy", and I hope I get to play a role in fucking you up one day:

I love being a part of poetic justice."

It's not poetic justice you're a part of, you're a part of not being able to make a coherent point.

First, you feign compassion, no doubt to bolster your self-esteem, then want to fuck up someone you don't even know over a trivial comment on the internet.

Second, I'm not granting anyone freedom, you dumbass. You're not only free to not give a flying fuck about me, you're welcome to.

Trust me, I won't lose a wink of sleep over you. Take your little internet e-peen contest back to the playground you silly twat.; 4/14/10, 11:24 PM
Penny said...: Tiger is famous, and with fame comes attention. It's all part of the equation. That being the case, I suppose we feel we know him well enough to comment on his successes and his failures.

Just in the comments here, we have people who feel he wasn't religious enough, and therefore had no sense of right or wrong. People who feel Elin must have married him for his money, and has no right to her own personal pain because she is pretty and rich. We have guys giving Tiger divorce advice, so some broad doesn't screw him good. I could go on, but why? The gist is clear...

"If I know you, I'm going to be passing some judgment on you." OR, as someone chose to say, "I'm not going to care one bit about what happens to you."

Not seeing a whole heckuva lot of empathy here for people's feelings, their problems OR their personal privacy. Must be that we're saving all that up for those who are near and dear to us. Saving it for people who we would NEVER judge, who we wouldn't begin to gossip about or heaven forbid, fill in any blanks about without the facts.

Someone asked you about Elin today, and rest assured, someone someplace will be asking about YOU tomorrow.

Do you know why? Because we're all VIP's to someone.

Crack calls it poetic justice. I call it one of life's little ironies.

The good news? We ALL live to learn.; 4/14/10, 11:35 PM
AllenS said...: Never attend sex therapy classes. It will ruin your marriage.; 4/15/10, 7:01 AM
GMay said...: "I suppose we feel we know him well enough to comment on his successes and his failures."

Another part of the problem. You really should speak for yourself. Do you know him? Do you know Elin? No? I sure don't.

Don't confuse lack of empathy for one or two people to be a lack of empathy for "people". Some people get worked up over celebrities, others don't. This is not some occasion for offering deep but misguided insight into the lives of people you know little to nothing about. Including the Woods'.; 4/15/10, 9:09 AM