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Nancy Grace
Woods`s Wife Reportedly to Demand Full Custody of Children
Aired December 21, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAT LALAMA, GUEST HOST: Breaking news tonight in the case of golf superstar Tiger Woods. After a late-night crash outside his Florida mansion, a string of alleged mistresses, at least 14, linked to the golfing great, some claiming the affairs lasting for years, and the number of alleged mistresses could climb to 16, major developments tonight as sources confirm wife Elin Nordegren will file for divorce. Reports are she wants full custody and half of Woods`s empire, estimated at $600 million, Nordegren contacting divorce lawyers, including a high-profile LA attorney to the stars.
She`s already been out in public with no wedding ring and is reportedly leaving for Sweden with the two children. This as reports surface Tiger Woods and his buddies will set sail on his private luxury yacht. At the heart of it all, two little children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Golf has never been this exciting!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news. Unconfirmed reports emerged that Tiger Woods`s wife, Elin, not only will be seeking a divorce from the golf great...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will you ever forgive him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... but also allegedly wants half his money and full custody of the couple`s two young children.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who do you think of his 14 mistresses?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of reports are saying that divorce is a 100 percent for Elin, although she wants to take her time. She wants to wait to make sure all the dirty laundry is on the table.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think what Elin Nordegren wants more than anything else at this point is her life back, some privacy for her kids, and $55 million or a billion isn`t going to undo the damage Tiger Woods did to his wife, to his family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A close pal of Elin Nordegren allegedly claims Elin is prepared to give Woods visitation with his children, but reported wants the visits to be monitored.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re hearing that she`s, you know, a very tough woman, that she doesn`t, you know, take this kind of thing lying down, that she is very upset and that she is not the kind of woman that would stand for this kind of thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meanwhile, sources say Woods is doing everything he can to save his marriage and convince his wife not to leave him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All these rumors about Elin wanting to do this, wanting to get the divorce, consulting divorce attorneys -- apparently, according to TMZ, he wants to save it, he wants to do everything in his power to try and save this marriage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a guy who is in profound shock, embarrassment, feeling a lot of guilt because he`s brought down his own reputation, has destroyed his family, as we can see. He is at the lowest part of his life right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: And breaking news tonight in the sudden death of Hollywood star Brittany Murphy, star of movies "Girl Interrupted," "Eight Mile" and "Clueless," Murphy collapsing at her Hollywood Hills home. Paramedics tried desperately to revive Murphy, but two hours later, she`s pronounced dead. As we go to air, we confirm the autopsy is complete, but toxicology tests necessary to determine official cause of death. Investigators, by the way, seizing multiple prescription medications from Murphy`s home. What happened to 32-year-old Hollywood star Brittany Murphy?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A tragic Hollywood story, a talented actor whose life cut short way too soon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The family says actress Brittany Murphy had flu- like symptoms just before she died.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to the family, they advised that she had been ill for several days with flu-like symptoms, and she did have some prescription medication.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s still a lot of mystery here. We still have no official cause of death.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I saw the five firemen bring her down on a gurney. And they were trying to resuscitate her all the way down to the fire truck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She died yesterday suddenly in the shower at her home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They had her by the fire truck, and they were obviously trying to put (INAUDIBLE) resuscitate her, and I think she was very obviously dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last public appearance was on December 3rd, when she showed up on the red carpet for a store opening in Los Angeles, and there were a lot of whisperings that she just looked too thin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do we know about her husband?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was with her at the house when she died. He was on the driveway outside as the ambulance pulled up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But he was in his pajama bottoms without any shoes on, and he was just walking around completely dazed and in shock. He just -- he wasn`t really even at the gurney. He was just -- just staggering around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was reported to the hospital that the husband said that he did not want an autopsy. However, he never conveyed that to us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Investigators are taking a closer look at her medical history.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her last movie role was last month, but she was dismissed from that because -- well, there were reports that she just looked dazed. So it`s a big mystery.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: Good evening. I`m Pat Lalama, in for Nancy Grace. Major developments tonight in the case of golf superstar Tiger Woods, as sources confirm wife Elin Nordegren will file for divorce. Reports are she wants full custody and half of Woods`s empire, estimated at $600 million.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news. Has Tiger Woods left Florida? "People" magazine reports Tiger Woods has set sail with his $20 million yacht headed towards the Bahamas for a few days with friends.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The reports are saying that Tiger Woods is secluded. He`s eating cereal. He`s watching cartoons. He`s not talking to anyone. He is playing golf at night.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) say the boat, which was docked in North Palm Beach for more than a week, left port Saturday after Woods`s friends allegedly went to pick up supplies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have not seen Tiger since before the accident. You know, he had the accident on Thanksgiving, and he hasn`t been seen since. So we think he`s in Florida, but we do not really know where he is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Also today, is Tiger Woods`s wife seeking full custody of the children? An unconfirmed report from an alleged close pal of wife Elin Nordegren says Elin wants a divorce, sole custody of the children and half of Tiger Woods`s estimated $600 million fortune.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have heard reports that she is going to go on vacation with the children for the holidays, and after the holidays is planning on filing for divorce from Tiger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only that, but the friend claims Elin would want any visits between the children and Tiger Woods to be monitored.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, now that Tiger has shown his true stripes, we`re learning a whole lot and that this is going to cost him a lot of greens fees to get out of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: Well, clearly, Elin no shrinking violet. Tom O`Neil, senior editor, "In Touch Weekly," she`s going for the jugular.
TOM O`NEIL, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Well, I think she`s smart to. She has a prenup agreement, allegedly, for $20 million. He`s got a lot more than that. Why not go for it?
LALAMA: Well, here`s my question, though. You know, it`s one thing to say, I`m going go for all this money, but Alexis -- and please forgive me, I`m going to get it right -- Tereszcuk? Forgive me. Go ahead.
ALEXIS TERESZCUK, RADARONLINE.COM: Tereszcuk.
LALAMA: Say it right.
TERESZCUK: Tereszcuk.
LALAMA: All right. Thank you -- reporter, Radaronline. You know, the custody issue really, really gets me because it`s almost like saying, My kids are not safe with this man. I want them with me.
TERESZCUK: Exactly. Elin wants full custody of the children. She is not really willing to compromise on that. This is what she wants. She wants full custody. She`s the mother. These are little children, 2 years and 10 months. They need a full-time mom. Dad can go back to playing golf or traveling around the world, but she wants to be their sole caregiver.
LALAMA: But you know what? Vikki Ziegler, divorce and family law attorney, that`s a real button pusher to say, I want custody and I want monitored visitation. The man has never been in trouble for abusing has children in any way. Is she likely to get this?
VIKKI ZIEGLER, DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: Yes, it`s a great point. You know what? It`s questionable. At this point, listen, what he`s done allegedly is reprehensible in committing adultery, but at the end of the day, people don`t lose custody unless they`re unfit or somehow they would endanger their children, and we haven`t seen anything in terms of reports that he`s a bad parent and a bad father. All we`ve heard is, obviously, that he is a serial philanderer.
But at the end of the day, this is going to be perhaps a bargaining chip for Elin to say, Listen, if you give me full custody, I`ll give you parenting rights. I`ll let you see the children, of course, when you`re not playing golf -- or if you ever get back to playing golf -- but I want more money. And I want to be taken care of and I want to live where I want to live with the children.
LALAMA: Well, on the subject of the children, Dr. Robert Cartwright, M.D., pediatrician and allergist -- thank you for joining us -- you see a lot of children. You see a lot of divorces. I know there`s -- I mean, this is a really sensitive issue, but you`ve seen the trauma they go through. But does it deserve this, to say, I want my children monitored when my husband is with them, my ex-husband?
DR. ROBERT C. CARTWRIGHT, PEDIATRICIAN: Well, I agree, and I think we all know that parents are vitally important in the lives of their children, both the mother and father. And so I think with having a monitored visit, you do worry that the children may sometimes view their father as some deviant. And while you might think that is the case, I think there is the argument that, you know, you really need try to make this as normal for the children as possible.
LALAMA: Caryn Stark, psychologist, I`m sure you`ve dealt with children. There`s a lot of emotional fallout. Because are they necessarily in danger because he`s a serial philanderer?
CARYN STARK, PSYCHOLOGIST: Absolutely not. It doesn`t make a difference that he was a philanderer. We might be very upset about it, but it`s not going to have any negative effect on the children. They need to have both parents, and they need both of their parents to be getting along.
LALAMA: And Eleanor Odom, prosecutor, what will he have to do to say to a court -- wherever it may be, Florida, California -- Hey, I`m a good daddy?
ELEANOR ODOM, PROSECUTOR: Well, I think he`s going to have to show the fact that he`s spent time with them, that he`s involved in their lives. And here`s where Elin may have a leg up on him, sort to speak. She has been the sole caregiver. She`s the one providing care while he`s off doing his different tournaments and charity events. So she`s got a little bit of an edge in that department.
LALAMA: And Alex Sanchez, defense attorney, you know, in talking about the half the $600 million -- now, let me get this straight. I know California`s no-fault. Florida`s a little bit different picture. What will she have to do if she wants to take the proceedings to a Florida court?
ALEX SANCHEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, first she`s going to have to file some type of a complaint in a Florida court. Then the issue of whether or not there`s this prenuptial agreement is going to come before the courts to determine whether or not it`s valid in Florida or it`s valid in one of the other states. So first an action has to be taken before the courts so a court can make a decision.
LALAMA: But very quickly, Peter Odom, defense attorney, you know, infidelity is not grounds for giving somebody lots of money, is it?
PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: No, but if there was fraud in the actual inducement of that contract, if there was some fraud in the making of that contract, then that prenup might be set aside and Tiger Woods could be liable for a little more money than he anticipated when he got married.
LALAMA: Mark Williams, anchor and reporter, do we know if he`s been - - I mean, has he been with the kids? Are they completely estranged at this point?
MARK WILLIAMS, ANCHOR/REPORTER: Not that we know of. He`s been living separate from Elin, at last report at a different home, but in the Isleworth subdivision. It`s a home that was owned by his late father and with Tiger. But you know, there`s been conflicting reports as to whether he`s on his boat called the Privacy. And also, it was last week or the week before that investigators from the Department of Children and Families here in Florida stopped by the Woods residence just to check up on the kids because this is a very high-profile case here in the Orlando area.
LALAMA: OK. Alexis, can you tell me, do you know if she plans to go to Sweden?
TERESZCUK: We have heard reports that she is planning on going there for the holidays and taking the children so that she can spend the time with her family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think that Tiger`s a sex addict?
JAIMEE GRUBBS, TIGER`S ALLEGED MISTRESS: The man that I knew, the Tiger that I knew, I would never think that. You know, it was never about that. He never, you know, just kind of said, Come over, and that`s what`s going to happen. So I mean, the person that I knew, I would say no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRUBBS: It`s just kind of -- you know, this was a man I cared about. This was a man I spent two-and-a-half years with.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your husband may have allegedly been with 16 different women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re hearing it from multiple sources.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is all blowing up as we speak.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like a bakery, take a number, and next, apparently. And I`m sure there are many more. This guy`s a playboy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we do know for sure is that the first time that we saw Elin come out just a few days ago, after being in hiding for a very long time, she was out pumping gas without her wedding ring on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think of his 14 mistresses?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is definitely mad about everything going on.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: A lot of these women are claiming two and three- year relationships with him, some in the family home. How difficult will that be for a divorce lawyer to prove?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s not going to be difficult. We`ve got text messages. We`ve got voicemails.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, it`s -- it`s Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s not going to be hard at all.
GRACE: Elin Nordegren has closed on a family mansion in her homeland, on an island off the coast.
Reports are surfacing that he is very afraid that Elin Nordegren is going to divorce him and take the children to Sweden.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Has the countdown to divorce already begun?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This very well could be the beginning of the end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: Well, you know, one just might assume that Tiger Woods might take this time for a little self-reflection, little soul-searching. However, Mark Williams, anchor and reporter, he`s supposedly set sail on his $20 million yacht, ironically named Privacy, with, you know, 300 of his favorite yes guys around him. This is not a guy who`s into self reflection, if this is true, correct?
WILLIAMS: Correct. Supposedly, he and his buddies went to a Costco discount store in the Palm Beach area over the weekend -- Saturday, to be exact -- stocked up on goodies, brought it back on the boat and they cast off. They are now allegedly -- and this is what "People" magazine is reporting -- they`re allegedly cruising in the Bahamas. Now, this boat is, like, 6,500 square feet.
LALAMA: Right. Right.
WILLIAMS: This is a huge boat. It has a 7,000-gallon gas tank, and it can cruise...
LALAMA: Hey, hey, hey -- hey, Mark, Mark, Mark, "boat" is an understatement, young man.
WILLIAMS: Excuse me. Vessel.
LALAMA: That`s -- it`s an -- yes, it`s a vessel. And check this out. It`s got -- nobody ever invites me on these kind of boats, right? Excuse me, yachts. It`s got a sky lounge bar, a gym, a jacuzzi, five guest rooms. It sleeps 21. Oprah`s been on it. Bill Gates has been on it. You know, on and on and on.
But Alexis Tereszcuk -- I know I got it right that time -- you say it hasn`t docked. Now, which is it? Is he boating or is he not boating?
TERESZCUK: We actually have a photo on Radaronline that shows that Tiger`s boat was still in the dock today, so we do not think that he has left, and the boat is still in the dock.
LALAMA: OK. All right. Well, I guess we`ll find out sooner or later. And we`ve had patiently waiting callers. Veronica, good evening. What is your question? In Pittsburgh.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. Does Tiger have any contact with his mother at all?
LALAMA: Oh, well, it`s funny you should ask that question because we understand, Tom O`Neil, that his mom`s pretty mad at him. Do you know about this?
O`NEIL: Yes, Mom`s really, really mad. She says she is hurt, she is angry, she is disappointed in her son. Now, look, when he was growing up, she had a hard time keeping that family unit together, but she survived and got them through. Tiger`s got everything. He`s got money and a wonderful, beautiful family, who she said she, quote, unquote, "adores.` She doesn`t understand all how this has happened to the family.
LALAMA: Lou -- well, actually, you know, his dad cheated, as well, so you know, maybe it`s in the genes. Lou Palumbo, former Nassau County police investigator, private investigator -- now, what would you do now? I mean, would it be a good thing to follow, if you were Elin, to follow everything he`s doing now to try to build a case on his actions now, or does it matter?
LOU PALUMBO, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: No, I think it`s a moot point now, and the only thing they need to do now is exercise the power of the subpoena. And that not only pertains to the young ladies that were involved in this but any of the correspondence that may have taken place between them -- phone records, text messages, e-mails, so on and so forth. There`s really not, you know, much of a need for a private investigator at this crossroad. We know what happened. We know who the players are. We don`t have to go find them.
LALAMA: Vikki Ziegler, divorce and family law attorney, when there is philandering at this level, I mean, how does one deal with that in terms of representing? Does it carry any weight whether it`s one woman or 100 women?
ZIEGLER: Well, it really depends. And I think in this case, certainly, it goes to credibility. It goes to a lack of judgment. But at the end of the day, if this is really about money, the only argument I see is that he dissipated perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars on these women that should have been in the marital pot, so to speak. She could go after 50 percent of those moneys. So that`s one way. But at the end of the day, really, it`s to humiliate him, which he`s already been humiliated, so it`s not going to be so much of an issue, I think, in this case.
LALAMA: And Dr. Cartwright, are the -- do we need to be concerned about their health for any reason? Very quickly.
CARTWRIGHT: I`m sorry. Whose health?
LALAMA: The children`s health.
CARTWRIGHT: I don`t think so. It sounds like they`ve gotten really good care.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: TMZ reporting Tiger Woods is doing everything he can to save his marriage and convince wife Elin Nordegren not walk. But will it work? Reports surface that wife Elin has consulted divorce lawyer to the rich and famous Sorrell Trope.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can`t get anymore definite than that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, this is a hard-hitting divorce attorney based out of LA.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Legal eagles say he`s the best in the business in getting the most money the best custody deals out of divorces.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As you know, there are millions of dollars at stake -- $92 million in career tournament winnings, estimated $100 million a year in endorsements -- that includes $30 million from Nike, an estimated $10 million from Gatorade -- as well as the custody of their children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: Well, you know, the word is, Mark Williams, anchor and reporter, that Tiger`s going to say good-bye to golf for a full year. Can he do it? And why would he do it?
WILLIAMS: Well, here`s the deal. Tiger`s trying to save his marriage. And golf, of course, is his profession. He has said on his Web site and through other sources that he`s going to take the next year off. However, there is speculation -- and I have my sources telling me that he won`t take a year off. He will be back at the Masters that begins April 6th in Augusta, Georgia. He can`t miss that tournament. That`s his bread and butter right there, Pat.
LALAMA: But Caryn Stark, psychologist, I just to wonder, if you can so flagrantly and blatantly cheat -- I mean, out in the open -- now, all of a sudden, you`re all full of, you know, guilt and, Gee whiz, I`m just going to lay low for a while? I just don`t see how you make that transition so fast.
STARK: Well, but you have to understand something. This is a man who really wanted to be a private person. He put it out there...
LALAMA: What?
STARK: ... that he was private. Remember his boat was called the Privacy. And so I can see how he makes that transition. There`s, like, two different Tigers. There`s the guy who`s acting out and then there`s this private person who`s supposed to be so presentable to us, and well behaved.
LALAMA: Peter Odom -- Peter Odom, I -- you know, private? He was so blatant in what he did, right or wrong, whoever -- you know, if you don`t want to make a moral judgment about it, fine. But it was out there.
PETER ODOM: There seems to be a sense that he didn`t even understand the gravity of what he was doing. There was a sense of entitlement there because he was Tiger Woods, one of the richest people -- the richest person in sports. And you know, maybe he`s starting to get it, now that his family`s falling apart, his image is falling apart, his ability to make money is falling apart. You know, there`s hope that he might get it, and he`s going to try and save that marriage.
LALAMA: But Dr. Robert Cartwright, do you buy -- I mean, being a physician, you see people under stress all the time. I guess I`m looking at it as sort of, well, there`s no guilt, gee whiz, look what I did to my family. But is it possible he could really be suffering internally right now?
CARTWRIGHT: Well, certainly, stress has both psychological and physical, you know, tolls on people. And so I think there really is the possibility that for his own health, laying low, trying to stay out of the spotlight is a very reasonable thing at this point and trying not to add fuel to the fire.
LALAMA: But Eleanor Odom, it seems to me that this is just good PR, stay away and then have your chance to come back and beg for mercy later.
ELEANOR ODOM: Yes, it`s so typical of what we see, especially (INAUDIBLE) I guess strengthen his position when we`re talking custody issues. But again, it`s his wife coming who`s from the position of strength, not Tiger Woods.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN MOSS, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY & CHILD ADVOCATE: Tiger isn`t out of the woods yet.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Radaronline reporting Tiger Woods supposedly told an alleged mistress he only got married to boost his public image.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "People" magazine reporting Tiger Woods` wife Elin wants out. She`s planning to leave him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think that Tiger`s a sex addict?
JAIMEE GRUBBS, TIGER WOODS` ALLEGED MISTRESS: The man that I knew, the Tiger that I knew I would never think that.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: "The Enquirer" claims team Tiger is working hard to silence alleged mistresses.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Alleged monthly payments to these various women, some up to $20,000 a month. Sources confirmed that Elin Nordegren is divorcing Tiger Woods. There`s no going back now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She recently photographed without her wedding ring.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is not very happy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has decided at this point to take off her ring and it`s time move on.
ALEXIS TERESZCUK, REPORTER, RADAROLINE.COM: We are hearing that she is, you know, a very tough woman, that she doesn`t, you know, take this kind of thing lying down, that she is very upset and that she is not the kind of woman that would stand for this kind of thing.
TOM O`NEIL, SENIOR EDITOR IN TOUCH WEEKLY, COVERING STORY: Multiple friends of Elin`s and ABC News is saying this is a 100 percent certainty. The only uncertainty is how will it play out?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAT LALAMA, GUEST HOST: Alexis Tereszcuk, from Radaronline. OK, this really gets me. I mean it`s one thing all the mistresses but apparently one is talking about this a long relationship and she even went to his home?
TERESZCUK: Absolutely. There is one of the mistresses who said that she was with Tiger in his home. In fact, one said she was with tiger the night his father died and she was there with him and as -- I`ve said before, I think that bringing a mistress into the home is pretty disgusting.
LALAMA: Yes, well, no doubt about that. Lou Palumbo, I just have to ask you as a private investigator, you see a lot of, you know, nasty stuff going on but how often do these guys drag their conquests into the family home where the children sleep?
LOU PALUMBO, FORMER NASSAU COUNTY POLICE INVESTIGATOR, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: More often than you think. You know.
LALAMA: Why?
PALUMBO: Why? Because they`re just immoral. They really don`t seem to understand the responsibilities. First and foremost to your children, then to your wife. You know, it is difficult to understand this mentality but we live in a society where we give these people tremendous prerogative and they have a sense of entitlement.
And therefore with the entitlement goes disregard. This is just blatant arrogance.
LALAMA: Well, then tell me this, Alex Sanchez. Are you telling me that that doesn`t carry some weight for Elin, oh my gosh, these women were in my house? I mean, how reckless is that?
ALEX SANCHEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: You know, it is a very reckless, and if it ever goes to divorce court, I`m sure those issues are going to come up. But I think at this point Tiger needs to do something very dramatic to restore his reputation.
And if I can make a suggestion to him if he`s watching this show, he should go on TV and he should say, listen, I feel awful about what I did. What I did was reprehensible. My marriage has never been about money. And as far as that prenuptial agreement goes, I`m willing to tear it up. I will do whatever it takes to restore my marriage and that I promise you.
That`s what he needs to do.
LALAMA: Vikki Zeigler, divorce and family law attorney, I don`t know. I mean, do you think all of -- we`re not just talking about an indiscretion. We`re talking about some sort of chronic behavior. Are you telling me he can wake up tomorrow and say, oh, I`m so done cheating? I`m so in love with my wife? Who buys that?
VIKKI ZEIGLER, DIVORCES AND FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: I don`t think a court is going to buy it, I`ll tell you that, and I don`t think Elin is buying that either. And let me tell you something, if Tiger Woods goes on TV and rips up that prenuptial agreement up, I am so ready and willing to fly to Florida to represent Elin.
Because at that time, she can certainly get much more than probably a prenuptial agreement state. So at the end of the day, I think what Tiger Woods has done, as we all know, is reprehensible. And at the end of the day, is he going to change? Does he want to reconcile this marriage?
Going on a boat called -- yacht, excuse me, called "Privacy" doesn`t really show that he wants to reconcile and be a family unit allegedly during the holidays. So I have a lot of questions about Tiger`s transgressions and how he`s ever going to come back and make this family whole and how can anyone could ever trust him again.
LALAMA: Dr. Robert Cartwright, I know these children are very young. I believe 2 and 10 months. Somebody will yell in my ear if I`m wrong. But I believe it`s 2 years and 10 months. I don`t think that they`re necessarily unscathed. Somehow there has to be an impact, don`t you think?
DR. ROBERT C. CARTWRIGHT, M.D., PEDIATRICIAN AND ALLERGIST: Well, certainly, I think there are times where we see the psychological trauma on children when parents are in the home fighting. You know, we don`t give children the credit they sometimes deserve in terms of how observant they are and how they feel and how they empathize with older adults, so I think there is certainly that possibility that there are issues, that they at that young age are sensing.
LALAMA: I want to get to more of our callers and Paulette, thank you for waiting from Florida. What`s your question, Paulette?
PAULETTE, CALLER FROM FLORIDA: My question is with the two women that have seen Gloria Allred and has used her as their lawyer, how come they`re not charged with extortion since they`re trying to make an agreement on why -- how much money they should get from Tiger Woods?
(CROSSTALK)
PAULETTE: To me that`s extortion.
LALAMA: Peter, go ahead. OK. Peter, is that extortion?
No, absolutely not.
LALAMA: Give me money and I`ll be quiet.
PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Absolutely, it`s not extortion. These women have a right to talk to the media and if Tiger Woods wants to pay them money to not to talk to the media, that`s his prerogative and it`s a private contract between them and there`s nothing illegal about it.
LALAMA: Yes, but it`s pretty dirty. I mean.
ODOM: Well, you know.
LALAMA: They`re all dirty but.
(LAUGHTER)
ODOM: Moral considerations and legal considerations are often two different things.
LALAMA: Not if we had it my way. I think there should be a criminal charge called felonious philandering. Would you back me up on that? And I won`t even tell you what I think the penalty should be. But get this. Get this. Even though we`re talking about Elin wanting a divorce, there are also reports that she`s conflicted.
Now, I know I`m sure there is some, you know, trepidation, oh my gosh, been with this man, he`s the father of my children. But apparently, this is what we`re hearing that -- and I think as Alexis might know about this, that she`s mad because it was more than one that she`s upset not -- she would have maybe forgiven one but the fact that he had a three-year relationship with another one is what upsets her.
TERESZCUK: Absolutely.
LALAMA: Explain that to me.
TERESZCUK: It`s the mistress that he had the relationship before they were married when they were just engaged that continued after they were married. That`s a much longer situation that`s made her even angrier than she probably was had it been just one or two women but not a long term. This is a long-term indiscretion that she`s really angry about.
LALAMA: Well, Caryn Stark, you`re going to have to explain that to me. I don`t know, to me, to close my eyes and imagine my beloved with one woman would be enough to, you know, throw him off a short dock but I guess every woman has their price, correct?
CARYN STARK, PSYCHOLOGIST: That`s true. And you also have to understand that there`s a big difference between women and men. Women are more willing to forgive but they won`t forgive something that seems to be an emotional attachment. And three years might mean emotional attachment.
Where in men, if they just know that a woman has been with somebody else, they don`t forgive but women might. They really might. But the emotional part is not good.
LALAMA: Vikki Zeigler, I hear this all the time. Men are wired differently. I think it is a bunch of baloney. I think there`s a sense of entitlement. They`re allowed to get rid of it and -- to use that as an excuse and as long as that there are women who are going to play the game, they continue to get away with it.
ZEIGLER: Yes, the question is, why did Tiger Woods ever get married? I mean, you know.
LALAMA: Exactly.
ZEIGLER: You know what? He didn`t have to. He could be like Derek Jeter and court women and a great life and not have this financial commitment and emotional commitment to his family, so you know what? Nobody forced Tiger Woods. Nobody put a gun to his head and said you have to marry Elin.
So, you know what? He has to take that blame. He is culpable and you know what? Unfortunately, I think women generally want to give people another shot. I think because they want to believe that somebody can change. But in this case, it`d be hard pressed and, you know, I don`t want to be negative but come on, this doesn`t look like a person that really feels remorse and wants to rekindle this relationship with his wife.
I think it`s over.
LALAMA: Yes, yes. They`re snuggled up in front of a cozy fire and she has the image of all those women in her head? I don`t think so.
Let`s take another caller if we have time. Liz, do we have time? OK. Dora in Kansas. Dora, ahead.
DORA, CALLER FROM KANSAS: Yes, I was just wondering, since I say that Elin has contacted divorce lawyers, I was wondering has she also contacted a criminal defense attorney?
LALAMA: Well, Eleanor Odom, I don`t think there`s any need for criminal defense attorney at this point. Well, I don`t know. I mean who know what`s going on in there but for now no.
ELEANOR ODOM, PROSECUTOR: Well, not unless she`s being accused of performing some sort of battery on Tiger Woods, then she wouldn`t need a criminal defense lawyer.
LALAMA: All right. And I think we have Lisa in Minnesota. Lisa, very quickly, your question.
LISA, CALLER FROM MINNESOTA: Yes. The cause of action of alienation of affection in criminal conversation where Elin can sue the mistresses, has anybody informed her or the mistresses that they can be sued for those two causes of action?
LALAMA: Alex Sanchez?
SANCHEZ: Perhaps somebody has informed them but then again, is Elin going to sue the mistress who makes $45,000 a year as a cocktail waitress? It really doesn`t make any sense. Even if she could do it.
LALAMA: Let`s talk about something happy as we go to break tonight. New photos of Nancy`s twins. Little Lucy and John David at Chick Filet at (INAUDIBLE) Square. Check this out. Oh my gosh, mommy, daddy, grand mommy and grand daddy took the twins for biscuits and got a very big treat.
Santa showed up with that very big cow -- dancing cow, by the way, and the twins got to sit with Santa but only if mommy would hold them. How about that? And they painted pictures and hi-five Mr. Cow and spoke moo cow talk to him fluently. I think I can speak moo cow. Then of course they followed Santa around everywhere he went.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, it`s Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The investigation has determined that Mr. Woods is at fault in the crash.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you please take your name off your phone?
DREW PETRIMOULX, REPORTER, WDBO RADIO: There were reports that there was a domestic dispute before Tiger Woods left his house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife went through my phone and may be calling you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Elin had found Tiger`s phone and on it she has seen text messages.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you can, please take your name off that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It wasn`t one woman, it wasn`t two. You know, we think the number has been up to 13.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just have it as a number on the voicemail. Just have it as your telephone number. That`s it.
BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST, AUTHOR OF "DEALBREAKERS": I do not for one second believe he had real relationships with these women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got do this for me. Huge, quickly. All right, bye.
GRUBBS: I did put a lot of, you know, emotions into this and I did care very much for him. And when we were together, I mean, he did make me feel like I was the only girl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: Dr. Robert Cartwright, we know that there are issues of, I believe, Vicodin and Ambien. We don`t know that they`ve been abused in any way, so let`s make that clear. But what do those things do and why does one normally take those medications?
CARTWRIGHT: Well, Ambien is a prescription sleep aid that simply helps people to get to sleep and hopefully stay asleep through the night. Vicodin is a narcotic pain medication commonly used after surgery. We know he had the knee issues over the past year.
The two together may actually create some significant psychological issues, drowsiness and so forth so the two together may be a real problem.
LALAMA: Caryn Stark, does it concern you the use of any degree of these two medications?
STARK: Well, it all depends. I really agree and it depends on whether he was using them in combination. But if he was using them separately, it doesn`t really concern me, especially he didn`t seem to be. You haven`t heard that at all.
LALAMA: I want to ask Mark Williams, do we know -- let`s go ahead, I know I`m jumping back to Elin here very quickly, but is there some timeline? Do we have a clue when she is going to make some decision about her future?
MARK WILLIAMS, NEWS DIRECTOR, WNDB NEWSTALK 1150: There`s been some speculation that she was going to do it before the holidays. Now there is speculation she may do it after the holidays but, Pat, please keep this in mind, is that we will not know anything until we get the paperwork and the paperwork is made public. That`s when the rubber hits the road in this situation.
LALAMA: And there`s a rumor and I`m going to emphasize the word rumor -- not that we`re reporting rumors -- but I think you can answer this, Tom O`Neil, perhaps about cops being at the house to escort Elin somewhere? Are you familiar with that story?
O`NEIL: Yes. X17, the paparazzi photo agency, reported that earlier today a whole police entourage descended on the compound in Orlando, two squad cars, eight motorcycles, two choppers to escort her out past the paparazzi.
LALAMA: Wow.
O`NEIL: But then the later report was that she sent them all home. So one of two things may have happened if this is true and that is either she decided she didn`t want to leave with so much fanfare, or you know what, Pat? Maybe she doesn`t want to leave at all.
LALAMA: Well, who knows? And you`re seeing the house today, what a place, huh? And you know what? But a beautiful house is not enough to stay if you`ve been compromised but it`s going to be her choice.
Lou Palumbo, private investigator, former Nassau County Police investigator. You`ve seen a lot of this kind of thing, how does this rank to you, this case?
PALUMBO: As low as you can go, quite frankly. I mean.
LALAMA: Really?
PALUMBO: Yes, he`s somewhat on himself here. It wasn`t an issue that he wasn`t finding comfort or rapport in his home with his wife and he sought comfort with someone else. This guy was a sociopath. I mean, he traveled through continents to do this. And it`s unconscionable and quite frankly his complete lack of regard first and foremost for his children is inexplicable.
And I really don`t think this guy cares, quite frankly, and I think he`s a coward. In fact, what he should do is come out of hiding and just confront this issue and try to make some sense of it with people which we know he cannot do but he needs to confront this issue. He`s just hiding.
LALAMA: Eleanor Odom -- thank you. Eleanor Odom, I just wonder, you know, going back to this yacht thing, just for image sake, I don`t know that that looks so good. I`m going out palling out with my friends to wherever, you know, around the holidays.
E. ODOM: Exactly. And when you`re also looking at the custody issue, think about that. His wife has a good argument to say, here he is opportunities he could have at least to spend sometime with the kids and with the family, he`s out gallivanting on his yacht and not spending that time with the kids. That, again, puts him in a weak position when we`re talking custody.
LALAMA: And Peter Odom, I would guess, well, who knows? But does it look like a man who`s really trying hard to save the day?
P. ODOM: Well, I mean there`s certainly that aspect to it. Of course we also hear reports that he`s eating cereal and watching cartoons and that`s kind of not the direction he wants to go if he wants to, number one, reclaim his image. Number two, reclaim his marriage.
LALAMA: Well, clearly, clearly, to use the cliche, a story far from over. Let`s close it out now and go on to another tragedy. I mean this is a shocker. 32-year-old Brittany Murphy, Hollywood star, has had her ups and downs but did quite well over the last few years, but now she is dead and at this point it`s cardiac arrest. Let`s listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The actress again pronounced dead Sunday at the age of 32.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don`t know a lot still.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We understand she was found in the shower, that she had vomited. Could you tell us anything about the scene itself?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She collapsed in the bathroom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The toxicology reports, that`s the drugs that may have been in her system at the time, that will take four to six week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did she go into -- did, in fact, she has some kind of a heart attack at this time and die from that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was reported as a cardiac -- a possible cardiac or heart-related problem, a heart attack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s been dogged by rumors of anorexia, of weight loss.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Certainly in Hollywood, there`s a pressure to be thin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do know that there were report that she was ill with flu-like symptoms the days prior to her death. And one report indicated that she was vomiting a great deal but really there are still some questions left to be answered.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: Let`s go right to Jon Baird, reporter, KNX 1070. Autopsy is complete, I believe, correct?
JON BAIRD, REPORTER, KNX 1070: They finished that today. They spent several hours going over her body.
LALAMA: What do we know?
BAIRD: Well, we don`t know much at this point. We know that there was no trauma so at this point they don`t know anything about any foul play. Basically, they`re waiting for the toxicology report to come back. They say it could be six to weight weeks and they don`t know why exactly she died.
LALAMA: Kelli Zink, CelebTV.com host, vomiting? She`s a diabetic. But do you know a little more about what her husband might be saying about her illness?
KELLI ZINK, CELEBTV.COM HOST: Yes. He spoke out today finally and said that she was also suffering from laryngitis. He kind of dismissed the flu-like symptoms and the vomiting and said that, hey, she had been working on a couple of movies, one from which she was dismissed, reportedly, and she was experiencing laryngitis and she was tired, but he acted pretty shocked about all of this.
LALAMA: Dr. Robert Cartwright, pediatrician and allergist, it`s not fair at this point to say suspicious, but it sure as heck is mysterious, is it not?
CARTWRIGHT: Absolutely. We certainly aren`t seeing 32-year-olds who are otherwise healthy drop dead from cardiac arrest with flu-like illness or laryngitis, for that matter. So, you know, we can speculate, but I think the things that I would be mostly concerned about, if there is any sort of drug issues, and again, it`s pure speculation, if she had troubles with weight in terms of anorexia, that puts a real strain on your heart and sometimes just a simple viral illness can tip you over the edge in that case so still speculation but.
LALAMA: Caryn Stark? Go ahead. Go ahead.
CARTWRIGHT: That`s it.
STARK: Which one?
(CROSSTALK)
STARK: Yes?
LALAMA: Stark?
STARK: Yes.
LALAMA: Go ahead.
STARK: I really wonder, you know, what is a 32-year-old doing being dead? You know, and I even think about Karen Carpenter, not that we really know what happened to her, but we know that Karen died because of anorexia. And she looked very, very thin to me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITTANY MURPHY, ACTRESS: June is definitely in the middle of a love triangle, to say the least.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And how is it filming such a dark thriller?
MURPHY: I was very drawn to this because of its dark quality, and the short film that was made before we were able to make the full-length feature, I was excited to be a part of the full length. I really enjoyed the short film very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LALAMA: Unbelievable. Eleanor Odom, I just have to ask you, is it commonplace that there are police investigators at this kind of a scene, where her body was?
E. ODOM: It`s very common. Because you want to make sure that there isn`t a potential homicide or a potential suicide because both of those things have to be investigated. And again when someone dies young and unexpectedly in their home, there`s going to be an investigation.
LALAMA: And they did, in fact, do an autopsy, and we`re waiting on toxicology, Kelli Zink, from CelebTV.com. Tell me, very quickly, about her career for people who may not be familiar with her.
ZINK: Well, she really exploded on the scene in the hit "Clueless," and that`s when she kind of got into everyone`s eye and then she did "8 Mile," and that`s when she was really respected as an actress. And she worked with Ashton Kutcher, who on his twitter page yesterday reached out and said how upset he was, because all these celebrities are now saying she was this ray of sunshine, she was a bright light, and that`s what she brought to the entire entertainment community.
But towards the end of her career and most recently, there`s been rumors that she was difficult to work with and that her husband was showing up on set drunk and being disorderly.
LALAMA: Jon Baird, do you know anything about those problems in her life?
BAIRD: No, I don`t, actually. But I do know, you know, we`ve been talking about the flu-like symptoms, that the coroner`s office did confirm, in fact, that she had did have flu-like symptoms, that there were prescriptions in the house, they took a lot of those with them as a part of their investigation, which is why they`re so interested in seeing the toxicology reports, and they also say they`re going to talk to her personal physician and try to get a medical history on her.
LALAMA: So that, very quickly, Kelli, it looks like they`re going to first start with looking into what kind of medication she was taking and for what purpose.
ZINK: Yes, you know, there are also reports that she had plastic surgery and was taking Vicodin after that, although that was not confirmed. And she has denied it.
LALAMA: OK. Thanks so much. Our thoughts with her friends and family.
Tonight, let`s stop to remember Army Specialist Levi Hoover, 23 years old from Midland, Michigan, killed in Iraq, awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Army Commendation Medal. He earned a criminal justice degree and dreamed of being a cop.
He loved the outdoors, fishing, camping, and backpacking with his family. He leaves behind grieving parents Belinda and Ken, sister, Danielle, two brothers.
Levi Hoover, an American hero.
Thank you to all of our guests and to you at home for being with us. And good night from Georgia or to Georgia friends, Mary and Tom Cartwright. They are the proud parents of our friend, Dr. Robert Cartwright. Mrs. Cartwright has also been a loving and dedicated preschool teacher for 33 years in Atlanta.
See you tomorrow night, 8:00 p.m. sharp Eastern. Until then, good night, friend. Have a great evening.
END
