Rachel Uchitel's mysterious silence

Alleged Tiger Woods mistress Rachel Uchitel was reportedly ready to confirm the affair at a Thursday press conference, when her lawyer, Gloria Allred, mysteriously canceled the event, prompting a frenzy of speculation. On Thursday, Radar Online reported that Woods' "people" were negotating with Uchitel to buy her silence for $1 million. But a more recent report from TMZ cites unnamed sources claiming that "fear and secrets"—not money—are what's keeping Uchitel quiet. Why won't the nightclub promoter set the record straight?

Whatever the reason, Uchitel's silence helps Woods: Fear may be her motivation, says Trent Vanegas on Pink Is the New Blog. But "no matter what she's afraid of," it seems like Uchitel has no plans to talk—and that's definitely good news for Woods. This whole "cheating scandal" might "go away altogether."

"Rachel Uchitel refuses to admit Tiger Woods affair due to safety concerns"

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Hush money, for sure: "There's no question that Tiger Woods has his checkbook open right now," says Daily Beast investigative reporter Gerald Posner, in an interview with the Today show. Woods has the money to "settle with each of the girls," no matter how many affairs he's had. And with a "$100 million–a–year brand" on the line, "it's certainly worth it for him to do so."

Watch Gerald Posner interviewed on "the Today show"

The cancellation means a deal's been struck: Lisa Bloom, a legal analyst for CBS and Allred's daughter, has told CBS' "The Early Show" that the canceled news conference could only mean that her mother has successfully struck a deal with the Woods camp on Uchitel's behalf, according to the Associated Press, estimating the payment at "at least a million dollars."

"Attorney's Daughter: Mom had to have Woods deal

.....................................................

SEE THE WEEK'S LATEST ON TIGER WOODS:

• Can Oprah save Tiger?

• Will Tiger's sponsors dump him now?

• Tiger Woods owns up

• From Taiwan: A CGI 'reenactment' of Tiger Woods domestic dispute

• The Tiger Woods scandal grows

• Who is Rachel Uchitel? A timeline of the alleged mistress's life