The Stunning Transformation Of Tiger Woods' Ex-Wife Elin Nordegren

In the aughts, golf star Tiger Woods' split from his wife Elin Nordegren rocked the world. Most people knew Nordegren because of her infamous divorce from Woods and his infidelity that ultimately destroyed their marriage. While the scandal was certainly difficult for Nordegren and the two children she shares with Woods, the model-turned-mental health counselor has certainly bounced back. From her early childhood in Sweden to her life today as a mother of six, Nordegren is so much more than the reason many of us know her. 

In his 2017 memoir, "Unprecedented: The Masters and Me," Woods explained that he and Nordegren "were so much in love when we married in 2004," adding, "But I betrayed her. My dishonesty and selfishness caused her intense pain. Elin and I tried to repair the damage I had done, but we couldn't." While he also admitted "My regret will last a lifetime," Nordegren has managed to move on and create a beautiful life out of the rubble of her very public marriage and subsequent split. Ultimately, the Stockholm native has undergone quite a transformation through it all.

Elin Nordegren was born in Stockholm, Sweden on New Year's Day in 1980, and she entered the world with a built-in BFF: her twin sister Josefin Nordegren. "My sister has been my best friend since the day we were born, and she is more than a best friend today," Elin told People. Their parents' efforts to give their twins their own identities surely helped to shape who they became. "They rarely dressed us in the same clothes, and if they did, I always wore red and my sister always wore blue so no one would say the wrong name," Elin said. "Everybody knew that red equals Elin and blue equals Josefin. They cut our hair differently and put [us] in different classes. Today I appreciate that they did that," she explained.

In addition to Josefin, Elin also has a brother, Axel Nordegren. "My brother is 13 months older than my sister and me, so we were like triplets growing up. We were the kind of family that spent every little penny left over on travel," she recalled, reminiscing about childhood trips with her family. "They stuffed us into a little Fiat Panda and drove all around Europe as often as possible." Elin was only seven years old when her parents called it quits. Her dad moved to Germany, but they split custody of the children and Elin recalled that there wasn't any ill will between her parents. "Despite the split, I feel like the base was still there," she told People. "My mom showed me that it is possible to be on your own, be a mother, and still pursue your career."

When Elin Nordegren was a teenager, she started modeling. Still, she doesn't consider herself a model, per se. "I did some modeling when I was younger," she told People. "I was never very successful at it, and I didn't intend to pursue it. It is flattering to be called a model, but I hardly think a few shoots in my teenage years make me a model." 

As an adult, in addition to modeling, Nordegren started nannying for Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik's kids. She traveled with the family when they moved to the United States, and Parnevik introduced Nordegren to his pro golfer colleague Tiger Woods in 2001. Nordegren wasn't looking for romance at the time. "My intent was to go back to Sweden after a year and start my psychology studies," she told People. She reportedly even had a boyfriend back home when she met Woods; however, the pair hit it off. 

In the biography, "Tiger: The Real Story," author Steve Helling explained that their courtship was surprisingly fast. "For the first time, Elin didn't feel that she was with a celebrity; she felt that she was out with a nice, normal guy," he wrote. In 2004, the couple tied the knot in Barbados. Nordegren and Woods ultimately had two kids together; they welcomed their daughter Sam Alexis Woods in 2007 and their son Charlie Axel Woods in 2009.

Less than a year after Elin Nordegren and Tiger Woods welcomed their son to the family, news broke that Woods had cheated on his wife. In the wake of allegations that he had affairs with many women over the course of his five years of marriage, he came clean publicly in 2010. "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did was not acceptable," Woods said, per ESPN. "It's now up to me to make amends, and that starts by never repeating the mistakes I've made. It's up to me to start living a life of integrity."

Nordegren recalled that time as being particularly nightmarish. "I've been through hell. It's hard to think you have this life, and then all of a sudden — was it a lie? You're struggling because it wasn't real," she said. "But I survived. It was hard, but it didn't kill me." Nordegren ended up getting $100 million in the divorce, and while she said "money doesn't make you happy," she admitted, "I have to be honest: It is making some things easier." At the very least, she said, the money allows her to spend time with her kids and visit relatives. "I have the opportunity to be with my children as much I want, and I am able to travel to see my family and also have them come here as often as I like," she said.

After enduring such a difficult time in the spotlight, it's really no surprise that plenty of people are wondering what Elin Nordegren is up to these days. As it turns out, she's thriving; a source told People that she's "living her sweetest dream." After her divorce, Nordegren went to school, earning a degree in psychology from Rollins College in 2014. She went on to become a mental health counselor.

In addition to her career accomplishments, Nordegren moved on romantically after her difficult divorce. She reportedly dated businessman Jamie Dingman, as well as entrepreneur Chris Cline. Then, after reportedly meeting through friends in Miami, Florida, Nordegren found herself in a relationship with another famous athlete in 2017, when she began seeing NFL tight end Jordan Cameron. Cameron had just retired from the NFL after enduring multiple concussions. 

Two years later, things had moved along nicely and the couple was expecting a baby. "Elin and Jordan met at Art Basel in Miami a few years [ago], and they are both really happy and excited about the arrival of a new baby," a source told Page Six in 2019. "Both Elin and Jordan have previously said they'd love to have more children, and Elin's kids with Tiger, Sam, and Charlie are really excited about having a new little brother or sister."

Like Elin Nordegren, Jordan Cameron also had a child from a previous relationship when the pair met. The couple welcomed their son Arthur in October 2019, followed by daughters Zeta and Freya. As of 2024, Nordegren and Cameron live together with their big, blended family, and in 2023, a source told People that this is a dream come true for Nordegren. "Elin always wanted a big family and loved the idea of a house filled with kids," they said. "She has that now."

Today, Tiger Woods and Nordegren's relationship is much happier than it once was. "Tiger and Elin are truly in a great place," a source told Us Weekly. "He's been so great with the kids, and that really brought her around to having a friendship with Tiger." Another source told People that the exes have made peace and moved on from the wreckage of their marriage. "Everything that happened in the past is in the past. They both decided to be adults and to do what was best for the kids, a source told People. "So they get along really well. Tiger says really great things about Elin. He never complains about her, ever. ... The kids love them both."