타이거우즈 "바람피웠다, 바보였다, 반성"

'골프 황제'에서 졸지에 '밤의 황제'로 전락한 타이거 우즈(35)가 지난해 말 불거진 '섹스 스캔들' 파문 이후 처음으로 공식 석상에 모습을 드러냈다.

한국시각으로 20일 오전 1시 미국 플로리다주 폰테베드라비치에 위치한 TPC소그래스의 클럽하우스에서 기자회견을 자청한 우즈는 자신의 잘못을 깊이 뉘우치는 모습을 보였으며 약 13분에 걸친 기자회견을 마치고 자신의 어머니와 오랜 시간 포옹을 나눴다.

◇"내 스스로에게 실망…비난 받아 마땅해" = 이날 비교적 건강한 모습으로 3개월 여만에 얼굴을 드러낸 우즈는 담담하고 차분한 어조로 자신의 입장을 전달해 나갔다.

먼저 우즈는 "저는 모두에게 비판을 받을 만한 잘못을 저질렀다"며 따라서 "비난 받아야 할 유일한 사람은 나자신"이라고 밝혔다.

우즈는 "내게 있는 돈과 명성을 당연하게 여겼고 불륜 행위를 저질렀으며 바람을 피웠다"고 실토했다.

그는 거듭 "이기적이고 바보같은 행동을 깊이 반성한다"면서 "아내와 내 아이들, 어머니, 처가식구, 친구 및 세계의 팬들에게 상처를 줬으며, 팬들의 기대를 저버렸다"고 말했다. 특히 자신을 롤모델로 삼았던 전세계의 어린이들과 그 가족들에게 사과를 전했다.

◇"아내에게 맞은 적 없다" 강력 부인 = 그러나 우즈는 "내 행동들은 용서받을 수 없고 비난 받아 마땅하지만 아내가 나를 때렸다든지, 내가 마약을 했다는 소문들은 전혀 사실이 아니"라고 부인했다.

그는 "그 같은 얘기를 사람들이 날조한다는 것이 나를 화나게 한다"면서 "엘린은 그날 밤이나 어떤 다른 날 밤에도 나를 때리지 않았고, 우리의 결혼생활에서 어떤 가정폭력 사건도 없었다"고 강조했다.

그는 "엘린은 이번 시련 속에서 엄청난 품위와 침착함을 보여줬다"면서 "엘린은 비난이 아니라 찬사를 받을만 하다. 이번 사건에는 나의 거듭된 무책임한 행동만이 있을 뿐"이라고 말했다.

우즈는 이어 이번 사태 이후 최근 45일간 치료를 받아왔으며, 다음날부터 다시 치료센터에 들어가 계속 치료를 받을 예정이라면서 "개인 생활을 바로잡기 위해 가야할 먼 길이 있다"고 전했다.

미 언론은 그동안 우즈가 미시시피주의 한 재활원에서 성관계 중독 치료를 받았다고 보도해 왔다.

언론에 대해서도 "제발, 제 아내와 아이들을 내버려 달라"고 호소하며 가족의 사생활을 보호해 줄 것을 당부하기도 했다.

우즈는 골프 문제에 대해선 "언젠가는 복귀 할 것"이라는 의지를 내보이면서도 "그 시기가 언제가 될지는 모르겠다"고 말했다. 그는 "그것이 올해가 될지에 대해서는 배제하지 않겠다"면서 연내 복귀 가능성도 시사했다.

이날 기자회견에는 우즈의 어머니를 비롯, 40여명이 참석했다. 그러나 아내인 엘린 노르데그린은 나타나지 않았다.

다음은 우즈의 사과 성명 전문.

Many of you in this room are my friends. Many of you have cheered for me or you have worked with me or you have supported me.

Now every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.

People want to know how I could have done these things to my wife Elin and to my children. And while I have always tried to be a private person, there are some things I want to say.

Elin and I have started the process of discussing the damage caused by my behavior. We have a lot to discuss what we say to each other will remain between the two of us.

I am also aware of the pain my behavior has caused to those of you in this room. I have let you down, and I have let down my fans. For many of you, especially my friends, my behavior has been a personal disappointment. To those of you who work for me, I have let you down personally and professionally. My behavior has caused considerable worry to my business partners.

To everyone involved in my foundation, including my staff, board of directors, sponsors, and most importantly, the young students we reach, our work is more important than ever. Thirteen years ago, my dad and I envisioned helping young people achieve their dreams through education. This work remains unchanged and will continue to grow. From the Learning Center students in Southern California to the Earl Woods scholars in Washington, D.C., millions of kids have changed their lives, and I am dedicated to making sure that continues.

But still, I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you. I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did. I am embarrassed that I have put you in this position.

I have a lot to atone for, but there is one issue I really want to discuss. Some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever. Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. Elin deserves praise, not blame.

The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.

I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have to go far to find them.

I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.

I've had a lot of time to think about what I've done. My failures have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before. 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.

I once heard, and I believe it's true, it's not what you achieve in life that matters; it's what you overcome. Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count.

Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids. I owe all those families a special apology. I want to say to them that I am truly sorry.

It's hard to admit that I need help, but I do. For 45 days from the end of December to early February, I was in inpatient therapy receiving guidance for the issues I'm facing. I have a long way to go. But I've taken my first steps in the right direction.

As I proceed, I understand people have questions. I understand the press wants to ask me for the details and the times I was unfaithful. I understand people want to know whether Elin and I will remain together. Please know that as far as I'm concerned, every one of these questions and answers is a matter between Elin and me. These are issues between a husband and a wife.

Some people have made up things that never happened. They said I used performance-enhancing drugs. This is completely and utterly false. Some have written things about my family. Despite the damage I have done, I still believe it is right to shield my family from the public spotlight. They did not do these things; I did.

I have always tried to maintain a private space for my wife and children. They have been kept separate from my sponsors, my commercial endorsements. When my children were born, we only released photographs so that the paparazzi could not chase them. However, my behavior doesn't make it right for the media to follow my 2½-year-old daughter to school and report the school's location. They staked out my wife and they pursued my mom. Whatever my wrongdoings, for the sake of my family, please leave my wife and kids alone.

I recognize I have brought this on myself, and I know above all I am the one who needs to change. I owe it to my family to become a better person. I owe it to those closest to me to become a better man. That's where my focus will be.

I have a lot of work to do, and I intend to dedicate myself to doing it. Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don't realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously I lost track of what I was taught.

As I move forward, I will continue to receive help because I've learned that's how people really do change. Starting tomorrow, I will leave for more treatment and more therapy. I would like to thank my friends at Accenture and the players in the field this week for understanding why I'm making these remarks today.

In therapy I've learned the importance of looking at my spiritual life and keeping in balance with my professional life. I need to regain my balance and be centered so I can save the things that are most important to me, my marriage and my children.

That also means relying on others for help. I've learned to seek support from my peers in therapy, and I hope someday to return that support to others who are seeking help. I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don't know when that day will be.

I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game. In recent weeks I have received many thousands of e-mails, letters and phone calls from people expressing good wishes. To everyone who has reached out to me and my family, thank you. Your encouragement means the world to Elin and me.

I want to thank the PGA Tour, Commissioner Finchem, and the players for their patience and understanding while I work on my private life. I look forward to seeing my fellow players on the course.

there are many people in this room, and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again.