The US socialite at the centre of the
Tiger Woods affair allegations spoke out last night to deny she was a "tramp".
Rachel Uchitel, who rocked the wold of celebrity to its core when she became the focus of a row between the champion golfer and his wife before his mystery car crash two weeks ago, claimed she had been cast as "the villain of the story".
"People have called me a home-wrecker, gold-digger, tramp, *****. I made mistakes, but I'm not those things. I have good qualities."
The 34-year-old nightclub hostess said: "In every story you need a villain and a hero. I've been characterised as a villain.
She added: "When you're judged by the nation, it's really difficult. It's horrible."
Ms Uchitel is one of a string of women linked to the world's highest paid sportsman since he crashed his car outside his
Florida mansion in the early hours of November 27.
Message
Another, cocktail waitress
Jaimee Grubbs, went as far as releasing a phone message reported to be from Woods asking her to cover up the alleged affair.
She has apologised to the golfer's wife
Elin.
Ms Grubbs said: "I couldn't describe how remorseful I am to have hurt her family and her emotionally."
She claims she had an affair with Woods for almost three years after meeting him at a
Las Vegas club when she was 21.
"I guess I would be deeply sorry for never considering her during the whole process.
"And him not bringing her up was just a way for me to pretend that he didn't have one [wife] and for me not to deal with it."
But she defended herself by saying: "If it wasn't me, it was going to be the other girls".
Father-of-two Woods (33) has not commented directly on the allegations but last week referred to "personal sins" and "transgressions" and apologised for letting his family down.
The damage to his previously wholesome image appears to have affected some of his lucrative endorsements.
Adverts featuring the top golfer have apparently disappeared from prime-time television broadcasts in the
United States.
And sports drink maker
Gatorade this week became the first company to drop its endorsement of Woods, although the firm said its decision was made months ago.
Nielsen, a
New York-based consumer research company, produced a study that showed Woods had not appeared in a prime time television commercial in the United Stated since a November 29
Gillette advert.
Honour
A US politician has also retracted his bid to get the sportsman recognised with the US's highest civilian honour.
California representative
Joe Baca had put forward legislation in March calling for Woods to be recognised with a Congressional Gold Medal for promoting good sportsmanship and breaking down barriers.
According to his bill, which had already been referred to the House financial services committee, Woods should be recognised for his service to America in "promoting excellence and good sportsmanship, and in breaking barriers with grace and dignity promoting good sportsmanship and breaking down social barriers by showing that golf is a sport for all people".
But in a statement released yesterday, Mr Baca said that he would no longer be pursuing the honour on behalf of Woods "in light of recent developments".
Woods was left bloodied and dazed following the crash outside his luxury home.
Medical records listed the reason for his admission to hospital as suspected "OD", short for overdose.
Accident
It also reported he was having trouble breathing and that Ms Nordegren gave paramedics two pill bottles, muscle relaxant
Ambien and painkiller
Vicodin, at the accident scene.
A beleaguered Woods faced a barrage of embarrassing publicity in recent weeks after at least 10 women -- including cocktail waitresses, nightclub hostesses and porn stars -- were linked to him over alleged affairs.
His wife, Ms Nordegren, a Swedish former model with whom he has two young children, has moved out of the family's home in Florida.
Her friends have claimed that she is devastated by her husband's behaviour but plans to remain with him for the sake of their children, Sam and Charlie.
A friend said: "She is a child of divorce and that's not something she's likely going to want to do to Sam and Charlie.
"She really believes in the importance of parents staying together."
Source:Irish Independent