Tiger Wood's Alleged Mistress Rachel Uchitel Hires Celebrity Attorney Gloria Allred

As the Tiger Woods alleged affair and accident scandal continues to gain steam, it now appears that the alleged 'other woman', Rachel Uchitel, is so steadfastly denying the affair that she is hiring a lawyer to potentially attack those who claim she did.

TMZ reports this afternoon that Rachel Uchitel has retained the services of famed celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred in what many are speculating is the first step towards launching a massive lawsuit against the National Enquirer magazine. Gloria Allred is a relatively well known attorney representing quasi-celebrities, having worked Paul Jones in her case against Bill Clinton and also for one of Britney Spears' bodyguards during a child custody trial.

History shows that when celebrity scandal breaks, it is usually those who either remain silent or offer a tepid denial that end up appearing as if they actually did whatever it is they are accused of doing. As we have all seen in recent baseball steroids scandals, for example, those who brush aside the question or give vague answers are the ones who history looks upon more harshly. The thought is generally that if you did nothing wrong, there is no reason to delay action or refuse comment.

Rachel Uchitel is today adding to the buzz around the Tiger Woods affair and accident story, but she is doing it in a way that so far at least seems to suggest that she would like to establish her 'innocence' from having had an affair with Tiger Woods. If Tiger Woods and Rachel Uchitel did not have an affair, then the decision to hire Gloria Allred and attack the National Enquirer may very well be prove to be a very shrewd move, and one that Tiger Woods himself would presumably applaud.

If an affair did happen, however, between Tiger Woods and Rachel Uchitel, then taking an aggressive stance such as hiring Gloria Allred as an attorney would very likely backfire and be very destructive to all involved.

It will be very interesting to see what Tiger Woods' next move is in all of this. He obviously has very deep resources and power. If he did not have an affair with Rachel Uchitel, and his late night car accident was merely a coincidence (and his argument with his wife was over whose turn it was to bring out the garbage), then the National Enquirer better brace itself. If, however, an affair did occur, it is very difficult to understand why Rachel Uchitel may have hired an attorney with the profile of Gloria Allred.

Source: TMZ Staff, Tiger Saga -- Six Degrees of Gloria Allred, TMZ.com