Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump are leaning on each other through parallel personal crises, with the couple drawing closer as they face a cancer diagnosis and a DUI case together.
Trump, 48, stood by Woods, 50, at the Martin County Courthouse in Stuart, Florida, last Wednesday as the golf legend accepted a last-minute plea deal. The pair arrived holding hands, and Trump remained at his side throughout the hearing, with Woods looking toward her repeatedly and flashing her a smile after signing the agreement.
“It meant so much to Tiger to have Vanessa there with him in court,” a source close to the couple said. “She wanted to be by his side and support him.”
Woods pleaded no contest to reckless driving and refusal to submit to a lawful chemical test after prosecutors reduced his DUI charge. The judge fined him $1,500 and revoked his driver’s license for five years, warning that driving during the ban could return him to jail.
The hearing followed months of treatment for Woods, who completed a six-week inpatient program in Switzerland after his March arrest. Throughout that recovery, Trump has been a steady presence.
“Vanessa is incredibly supportive of Tiger and really proud of the way he’s been handling everything going on in his life,” the insider shared. “She knows this hasn’t been an easy time for him, and she’s been there encouraging him every step of the way.”
But the support flows both ways. Trump revealed in May that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was working with her medical team on a treatment plan following a procedure. Woods has matched her devotion with his own.
“Tiger has been that same source of support for Vanessa throughout her cancer battle,” the source said.
The couple’s mutual dependence has deepened their bond rather than strained it, according to the same insider.
“They’ve both seen each other at their most vulnerable, and everything they’ve gone through has only brought them closer,” the source explained. “They’re very serious about each other and really feel like they’re a team.”
That solidarity was on full display in the courtroom, where Trump’s physical presence signaled commitment during a moment of legal vulnerability for Woods.
“They show up for each other when it matters,” the source added.
Woods went public with the relationship in March 2025, confirming the romance nearly two weeks after reports surfaced that he and Donald Trump Jr.’s ex-wife had been secretly dating.
“Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side!” Woods posted on X at the time, sharing two photos of the couple together. “We look forward to our journey through life together,” he continued. “At this time we would appreciate privacy to all those close to our hearts.”
The plea deal resolves the immediate legal fallout from Woods’ early-morning arrest, when officers found him asleep at the wheel of his running Mercedes-Benz in Jupiter, Florida. He told police he had taken prescription medications and did not realize how they would interact. Police dashboard camera footage showed Woods slurring his words and struggling to walk a straight line during field sobriety tests, though he blew a 0.00 on a breathalyzer test for alcohol.
The March arrest marked another low point in Woods’ long struggle with prescription drug dependency, which previously surfaced after his 2017 DUI arrest in the same county. That case also ended with a plea to reckless driving, probation, and court-ordered treatment.
“Vanessa has really been standing by Tiger through everything he’s been dealing with, just like he’s been there for her throughout her cancer battle,” the source said. “They’re both going through incredibly difficult things in their own lives, and they’ve really leaned on each other and given each other a lot of strength through all of it.”
Reps for both Woods and Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Woods is expected to continue his recovery program while navigating his license suspension as Trump proceeds with her cancer treatment plan.