Vanessa Trump has sent boyfriend Tiger Woods a public message of support on Instagram as the embattled golfing great faces a new fight to save his reputation.
Woods was put behind bars last Friday after rolling his SUV while attempting to overtake a vehicle at high speed near his home in Jupiter Island, Florida, before cops found two opioid pills in his pocket.
He has since stepped away indefinitely from golf to focus on his overall wellbeing, just as millions of fans around the world thought he was about end his near two-year injury absence at the Masters next week.
Sharing a picture of the couple together in happier times, Vanessa captioned the image with two red hearts and the words: ‘Love you.’
The Daily Mail understands that behind the scenes Vanessa, 48, has been pushing Woods to get the best care possible and that she won’t stand for another repeat of the troubles that have blighted Woods’ life away from sport.
Woods, 50, has since been given approval by a judge to travel outside of the United States for rehab in his latest battle with prescription pills.
Woods is also charged with driving under the influence, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He pleaded not guilty and is slated to appear in court on May 5.
Vanessa’s message comes after police released extraordinary bodycam footage detailing the aftermath of the crash.
In one clip, Woods is heard telling police that he had spoken on the phone with President Donald Trump – Vanessa’s former father-in-law from her marriage to Donald Trump Jr – who is friends with Woods. Trump awarded Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his first term in office.
Woods was also asked how much he had to drink, to which he replied: ‘None.’
When quizzed if he is on any medication, he said: ‘I take a few, yes,’ before detailing that he had taken it all earlier that morning.
Woods then is shown sitting on the front of the police car for the sobriety exercises, one of which sees a cop move her hand from side to side in front of Woods’ face as he attempts to follow it without moving his head. In another, he is asked to touch the end of his nose.
After the tests, the golf legend – who appeared to be hiccupping on several occasions – is asked to stand up and face the police car. He is then told to put his hands behind his back before being placed in cuffs.
‘I do believe your normal faculties are impaired and you’re under [the influence of] an unknown substance,’ the cop tells him. ‘I’m being arrested?’ Woods asks. ‘Yes, sir,’ she responds. The affidavit, released Wednesday, also claims Woods was ‘limping and stumbling’ during the tests.
In the initial clip of him at the roadside, recorded by the arresting officer’s bodycam, Woods can be heard explaining how the crash occurred.
‘I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden… boom!’ Woods tells the officer, explaining the moment he clipped the back of a pressure washer trailer and rolled his Range Rover onto its side.
Police said he told them he was ‘looking down at his cell phone and changing the radio station’ when the crash occurred.
‘I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,’ Woods then said in a statement on Tuesday. ‘I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health.
‘This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.’
It was the fourth occasion Woods has been involved in an accident since 2009.
The first came when Woods drove into a fire hydrant outside his home, fleeing after ex-wife Elin Nordegren had discovered he had been cheating.
In 2017, police found him asleep at the wheel on the side of the road with hte engine running. He was arrested then, too, for DUI with Woods blaming an ‘unexpected reaction’ to prescription medication for his condition. He later checked into rehab.
In 2021, he rolled his car at high speed in California so badly that he broke his right leg in multiple places and there were fears that he could have faced amputation.
Vanessa and Woods have been dating since around Thanksgiving 2024, with the Daily Mail exclusively revealing their relationship in March last year.
Just days before Woods crashed, Vanessa watched from the stands in Florida with her daughter Kai as he made a hugely anticipated return to golf at his TGL (The Golf League) event.
His team lost, but it was still considered a major step for Woods given his recovery from a seventh back surgery last October and a torn Achilles last March. He last competed in a tournament at The Open Championship in Scotland in July 2024.
Anticipation was growing that he would compete at the Masters at Augusta next week, one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf. Woods, who holds 15 Majors, has won five times there over the course of his all-conquering career.
But that will now not happen, with the PGA Tour saying on Wednesday that Woods had turned down the chance of captaining the United States at the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland in order to focus on his wellbeing.
