Don't blame the media

Danno: I never 'worked' for Tiger Madame!

Hollywood private eye Danno Hanks, whose entrance into the Tiger Woods scandal through an ABC news report coincided with Wood's decision to take a hiatus from his golf career, has an important clarifcation to make. While we quoted ABC News' report that Danno had confirmed that Woods was a client of recent Hollywood Madame Michelle Braun, and cited Danno's authority as the hard word that sent Woods into deeper seclusion, Danno wants to make it clear that ABC News was incorrect in stating that he'd "worked" for the madame.

Writes Danno:

"I never 'worked' for Michelle Braun (AKA: Nici's Girls). What I did do is 'infiltrate' her operation, posing as a guy who could obtain background information on potential clients and girls. This was done while I was working for Fox Undercover, a Los Angeles-based news program for KTTV11.

"This allowed me to gain access to about 90% of her client and call girl list. After I left Fox news, I turned over my files to the IRS & FBI. Some of that information was eventually used to convict her in federal court.

"Amazingly, Michelle Braun did not treat me with ill will, and continued to talk with me. When she realized that her run as a madam was over, she decided to cut a deal with the feds and focus on writing a book. Last Wednesday, I met with her for a few hours at a house owned by a friend of hers in Marina Del Rey. It was during that meeting that she told me about supplying girls to Tiger Woods. Prior to that meeting, and other than her statement, I had no prior knowledge of, or any proof that Tiger was a 'client' of Nici's Girls. And the 'proof' that she offered was nothing more then two IRS1099 forms that she generated only after the Tiger Woods story broke, claiming the employment of Holly Joy Sampson and Jamie Sue Jungers by the 'Global Travel Network'."

"Both of these women admit to having had sex with Tiger. However, both of them deny ever being in the employment of Michelle Braun, or any of her companies."

Someone emailed us The Tiger Woods Family Portrait

A tip of the Tabloid Baby hat to Tabloid Baby pal Chuck Tyler...

Remember Tiger Woods' nude model "wife"?

We wonder what Kim Hiott thinks about the Tiger Woods brouhaha. She's the nude model who for years has been incorrectly identified as Tiger's wife Elin.

A few years ago, we broke the story that cyberterrorists were spreading the rumour on the eve of Tiger’s 60 Minutes interview with Ed Bradley-- the one in which Tiger spoke so lovingly of his wife the former twin nanny ("I have found a life partner, a best friend. You know, Elin’s been incredible for me. She’s brought joy and balance in my life. We love doing the same things. You think I’m competitive? She’s way more than me.").

Later that year, Tiger Woods sued an Irish magazine for publishing topless photos of Hiott under the headline, "Ryder Cup filth for Ireland," and over an article claiming she was Tiger's wife.

Tabloid Baby readers had already helped identify model Kimberly Hiott by the tattoo on her lower back. Even so, the mistake haunts Tiger and Elin to this day.

Those were simpler days for Tiger Woods, when he was defending his wife, not defending himself from her.