# Elin Nordegren
**Elin Nordegren** (Elin Maria Pernilla Nordegren, born 1980) is a Swedish former model and nanny known publicly for her marriage to, and 2010 divorce from, professional golfer [Tiger Woods](https://www.edgepedia.org/tiger-woods). Since the divorce she has worked as a licensed mental health counselor in Florida, completed a psychology degree with distinction, and largely avoided media attention.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | New Year's Day 1980, ten minutes before her identical twin sister Josefin; grew up in Vaxholm, Sweden[1](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne) |
| Parents | Radio journalist Thomas Nordegren and Social Democratic politician Barbro Holmberg, a former migration minister and county governor[1](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne) |
| Marriage | Married Tiger Woods on October 5, 2004; divorced August 2010 after his infidelity became public[2](https://www.biography.com/athletes/tiger-woods) |
| Children | five in total: two with Woods, Sam Alexis (born 2007) and Charlie Axel (born 2009), and three with NFL player Jordan Cameron[2](https://www.biography.com/athletes/tiger-woods) • [3](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/Qo0K3W/efter-skandalen-nu-ar-elin-samtalsterapuet) |
| Education | Studied psychology, first in Lund, Sweden; graduated from Rollins College, Florida, in 2014 with a 3.96 GPA[1](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne) • [4](https://time.com/96269/elin-nordegren-tiger-woods-speech/) |
| Career after divorce | Licensed "Mental Health Counselor" in Florida as of fall 2018; registered the company "EE terapi"[3](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/Qo0K3W/efter-skandalen-nu-ar-elin-samtalsterapuet) |
| Reported settlement | The Sun reported she received 100 million US dollars in the 2010 divorce; another Swedish outlet reported 110 million[3](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/Qo0K3W/efter-skandalen-nu-ar-elin-samtalsterapuet) • [5](https://www.femina.se/nostalgi/elin-nordegren-tiger-woods-relation-barn-skandal-ny-man/10592604) |
## Early life and family
Nordegren was born in Stockholm on [New Year's Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-years-day) 1980, ten minutes before her identical twin sister Josefin; the two have an older brother, Axel[1](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne). Her father, Thomas Nordegren, is a radio journalist, and her mother, Barbro Holmberg, became a migration minister and county governor in Swedish public life[1](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne) • [6](https://www.svenskdam.se/etikett/elin%20nordegren%20woods). The parents divorced when the twin sisters were six years old, and the girls grew up in Vaxholm[1](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne).
Despite successful parents, the sisters worked part-time jobs if they wanted money of their own. Nordegren took modeling work reluctantly; her photographer friend Bingo Rimér later said he had to drag her out to jobs because she was barely interested[1](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne). She planned to study psychology in Lund, aiming to become a child psychologist, while Josefin chose law; Josefin later became a lawyer in London[1](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne) • [7](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/queen-of-the-damned-1.643950).
## Meeting Tiger Woods
**The Parnevik connection.** Nordegren and her twin worked as nannies for the family of Swedish golfer [Jesper Parnevik](https://www.edgepedia.org/jesper-parnevik) for several years, traveling with them to tournaments, and it was through this household that she met Woods[8](https://www.aftonbladet.se/relationer/a/a2baQO/barnflickan-som-fangade-tigern). According to Aftonbladet's account, Woods was so shy that he asked an intermediary whether she would consider a first date; she found him awkward and said no, but agreed after persistent courtship[1](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne) • [8](https://www.aftonbladet.se/relationer/a/a2baQO/barnflickan-som-fangade-tigern).
In March 2002, Aftonbladet reported that it was the first newspaper in the world to identify the world number one golfer's Swedish girlfriend[1](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne). Parnevik, who had introduced the couple, publicly vouched for her as humble, mature for her age, and uninterested in the limelight, while predicting the relationship would not be easy[1](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne).
The couple married on October 5, 2004[2](https://www.biography.com/athletes/tiger-woods) • [9](https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/woods-tiger-1975-eldrick-woods). Their daughter Sam Alexis Woods was born in 2007 and their son Charlie Axel Woods in February 2009[2](https://www.biography.com/athletes/tiger-woods).
## The 2009 scandal and divorce
In late November 2009, reports surfaced of an affair between Woods and nightclub manager [Rachel Uchitel](https://www.edgepedia.org/rachel-uchitel), and on November 27, 2009, Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant outside his Florida home at about 2:30 in the morning[2](https://www.biography.com/athletes/tiger-woods). A succession of women then came forward; Aftonbladet's later retrospective counted at least 18 mistresses, and [The Irish Times](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-irish-times) reported 19 women by the time it went to press[3](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/Qo0K3W/efter-skandalen-nu-ar-elin-samtalsterapuet) • [7](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/queen-of-the-damned-1.643950). Swedish accounts describe Nordegren chasing Woods out of the house with a golf club and damaging his car as he tried to leave, an episode that became one of the most retold details of the scandal[10](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/bloggar/usabloggen/a/gk75qL/charlie-woods-pratar-svenska-med-sin-mamma-elin-nordegren). In her own 2010 interview Nordegren denied striking Woods with a golf club[11](https://www.svd.se/a/06d5f33b-7b18-3a3e-bbad-8e924a465ceb/elin-nordegren-jag-kande-mig-korkad).
The divorce was finalized in August 2010, with the couple sharing parenting of their three-year-old daughter and one-year-old son[2](https://www.biography.com/athletes/tiger-woods). Financial terms were not officially published. The Sun reported a settlement of 100 million dollars, and Aftonbladet repeated that figure; Femina put it at 110 million dollars, over 1.2 billion Swedish kronor at its exchange rate[3](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/Qo0K3W/efter-skandalen-nu-ar-elin-samtalsterapuet) • [5](https://www.femina.se/nostalgi/elin-nordegren-tiger-woods-relation-barn-skandal-ny-man/10592604). The Irish Times noted at the time that the likely 100-million-dollar figure had been exaggerated to as much as 750 million in some reports[7](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/queen-of-the-damned-1.643950).
Two days after the divorce was finalized, Nordegren gave an interview to People magazine, which she said would be her first and last on the matter[12](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elin-ive-been-through-hell/). She described the months since the crash as "hell", said she had known nothing of the infidelity, and told Svenska Dagbladet she felt "stupid" as more and more was revealed[11](https://www.svd.se/a/06d5f33b-7b18-3a3e-bbad-8e924a465ceb/elin-nordegren-jag-kande-mig-korkad).
## The Dubliner lawsuit
Nordegren's public image was also tested in court. In September 2006, during the [Ryder Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryder-cup) in Ireland, *The Dubliner* magazine published nude photographs presented as hers; the pictures actually showed a Playboy model[13](https://www.irishtimes.com/news/cnn-apologises-to-irish-times-for-link-to-fake-nude-photos-of-woods-s-wife-1.784425). In a Dublin civil court settlement in December 2007, the magazine's publisher admitted the story was "cheap, tasteless, and deliberately offensive and completely untrue" and agreed to pay her €125,000 over two years plus a contribution toward costs; she said she would donate her payout to cancer support charities in memory of Heather Clarke[14](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/dec/07/privacy.pressandpublishing).
## Life after the divorce
**Education.** Nordegren returned to study and graduated from [Rollins College](https://www.edgepedia.org/rollins-college) in [Winter Park, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/winter-park-florida), in May 2014 after nine years of study, with a GPA of 3.96 and the college's Hamilton Holt Outstanding Senior Award. She joked about the divorce in her graduation speech, referring to "the wild storm of my personal life"[4](https://time.com/96269/elin-nordegren-tiger-woods-speech/).
**Career.** By 2020 she was working quietly as a therapist. According to The Sun, as reported by Aftonbladet, she was licensed as a "Mental Health Counselor" in Florida in fall 2018, a credential requiring a master's degree in mental health counseling, and shortly afterward registered the company "EE terapi"[3](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/Qo0K3W/efter-skandalen-nu-ar-elin-samtalsterapuet).
**Family.** She has five children: two with Woods and three with former NFL player [Jordan Cameron](https://www.edgepedia.org/jordan-cameron), with whom she has lived in [Palm Beach, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/palm-beach-florida); their son is named Arthur Nordegren Cameron[3](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/Qo0K3W/efter-skandalen-nu-ar-elin-samtalsterapuet) • [6](https://www.svenskdam.se/etikett/elin%20nordegren%20woods) • [18](https://www.si.com/onsi/athlete-lifestyle/news/what-tiger-woods-ex-wife-elin-nordegren-doing-now). She told People in 2014 that the children have dual citizenship and that she read Swedish books to them when they were small[10](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/bloggar/usabloggen/a/gk75qL/charlie-woods-pratar-svenska-med-sin-mamma-elin-nordegren). She also bought the Fåglarö estate in the Stockholm archipelago during the height of the 2009 storm, paying 16 million kronor and spending a further 12 million on renovation; the property includes a main building from 1866, two guesthouses, and a boathouse with sauna[15](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/x43JRj/kandisarnas-lyxiga-sommarhus-i-sverige).
## Public posture
Nordegren has consistently declined publicity. She has given very few interviews, refused repeated requests from Swedish media, and has no public social media accounts[10](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/bloggar/usabloggen/a/gk75qL/charlie-woods-pratar-svenska-med-sin-mamma-elin-nordegren) • [16](https://www.women.com/1938246/elin-nordegren-outfits-totally-missed-mark/). She and Woods have maintained a functioning co-parenting relationship; a People source quoted by Aftonbladet in 2026 said she was concerned for his well-being after a traffic arrest on Jupiter Island, adding that both children love spending time with their father[17](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/a/M77XX0/elin-nordegren-efter-tiger-woods-bilkrasch).
## References
1. [Kärlekssagan mellan Elin & Tiger har blivit en mardröm, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/J1naV7/det-blir-inte-latt-for-henne)
2. [Tiger Woods: Biography, Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/athletes/tiger-woods)
3. [Elin Nordegrens nya liv efter Tiger: Samtalsterapeut, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/Qo0K3W/efter-skandalen-nu-ar-elin-samtalsterapuet)
4. [Elin Nordegren Jokes About Tiger Woods Divorce in Graduation Speech, Time](https://time.com/96269/elin-nordegren-tiger-woods-speech/)
5. [Elin Nordegrens liv efter Tiger Woods otrohet, Femina](https://www.femina.se/nostalgi/elin-nordegren-tiger-woods-relation-barn-skandal-ny-man/10592604)
6. [Elin Nordegren, tidigare Woods, Svensk Damtidning](https://www.svenskdam.se/etikett/elin%20nordegren%20woods)
7. [Queen of the damned, The Irish Times](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/queen-of-the-damned-1.643950)
8. [Barnflickan som fångade Tigern, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/relationer/a/a2baQO/barnflickan-som-fangade-tigern)
9. [Woods, Tiger 1975– (Eldrick Woods), Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/woods-tiger-1975-eldrick-woods)
10. [Charlie Woods pratar svenska, Aftonbladet Sportbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/bloggar/usabloggen/a/gk75qL/charlie-woods-pratar-svenska-med-sin-mamma-elin-nordegren)
11. [Elin Nordegren: "Jag kände mig korkad", Svenska Dagbladet](https://www.svd.se/a/06d5f33b-7b18-3a3e-bbad-8e924a465ceb/elin-nordegren-jag-kande-mig-korkad)
12. [Elin: "I've Been Through Hell", CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elin-ive-been-through-hell/)
13. [CNN apologises to 'Irish Times' for link to fake nude photos of Woods's wife, The Irish Times](https://www.irishtimes.com/news/cnn-apologises-to-irish-times-for-link-to-fake-nude-photos-of-woods-s-wife-1.784425)
14. [Tiger Woods' wife wins damages, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/dec/07/privacy.pressandpublishing)
15. [Kändisarnas lyxiga sommarhus i Sverige, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/x43JRj/kandisarnas-lyxiga-sommarhus-i-sverige)
16. [Elin Nordegren Outfits That Totally Missed The Mark, Women.com](https://www.women.com/1938246/elin-nordegren-outfits-totally-missed-mark/)
17. [Elins oro efter Tigers bilolycka, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/a/M77XX0/elin-nordegren-efter-tiger-woods-bilkrasch)
18. [What is Tiger Woods’ ex-wife Elin Nordegren doing now?](https://www.si.com/onsi/athlete-lifestyle/news/what-tiger-woods-ex-wife-elin-nordegren-doing-now)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Reality television personalities and media celebrities › Socialites and tabloid celebrities*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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