Can true love survive the Tiger Woods affair?
The marriage may be over between Woods and his long-suffering wife, Elin, but from the wellspring of the couple’s $100 million divorce settlement, real romance may yet emerge.
On Tuesday, TMZ reported that Rachel Uchitel, the first lady of Woods mistresses, still has feelings for the golfer and would “give up everything” to be with him again. That “everything” could include a reported $10 million paid out in hush money to the chatty former nightclub manager, who also has been linked with TV actor David Boreanaz. But even then, it may not be enough.
Gallery: Affairs With Happyish Endings
In the grand sweep of human history, there have been few happy endings to high-profile affairs. John Edwards hasn’t made it work with Rielle Hunter. Jim McGreevey and Golan Cipel couldn’t get it together, but then again, neither could the Kennedy brothers with Marilyn Monroe. Most extramarital Hollywood romances fizzle; most Washington ones quickly combust.
• Katarina Andersson: Sweden Cheers on Elin• Ben Crair: Mark Sanford is a Romantic HeroAnd among the few that do work out, most don’t work too well—or for too long. Steve McQueen left his wife for his mistress Ali MacGraw, then left MacGraw for his new mistress, Barbara Minty. Donald Trump and Marla Maples made it six long years. Billy Crudup left Mary-Louise Parker for Claire Danes, who then swiftly left him for Hugh Dancy. Mel Gibson ditched his wife of 30 years for Oksana Grigorieva, and look how well that turned out.
But among the many broken hearts and shattered dreams, Uchitel and Woods—and other lovelorn scandal-survivors out there, like Mark Sanford and Maria Belen Chapur—can look to a precious few examples of once forbidden loves that have endured: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. Newt Gingrich and his mistress-turned-third-wife, Callista Bisek.
“I hope he remembers it was real,” Uchitel allegedly said, according to a friend in touch with TMZ.
Well, anything’s possible.