Scoop: Did Woods pay to quiet one alleged mistress?

“Unforeseen circumstances” was the only explanation given for a cancelled news conference that was expected to shed light on the relationship between Tiger Woods and Rachel Uchitel, the 34-year-old woman first connected to the star golfer.

Sources say those “unforeseen circumstances” stem from a last-minute deal between Woods and Uchitel worth upwards of $1 million, in order to keep quiet about her real story. (Uchitel’s attorney, Gloria Allred, had no comment.)

Uchitel initially told the New York Post there was no affair nor any text messages between herself and Woods, and some believe that denial also had to do with money. Some sources say Uchitel was receiving financial help from Woods prior to the National Enquirer story that initially linked the two. (Allred did not respond to comment requests on this point.)

As for whether this will be the end of the Uchitel/Woods chapter, that remains to be seen. Other sources have come forward claiming to have text messages that Woods and Uchitel exchanged, and they’re shopping those messages around to several media outlets.

More info from the scene of the accident
The Florida Highway Patrol has released the complete interview with the neighbors who found Woods after his crash. A few interesting points of note from the 16-minute interview: according to Jarius Lavar Adams, who placed the call, Woods was on the ground, near the passenger side of his car, and was snoring at the time the call was placed.

Adams and his sister, Kimberly Harris, also said that the mothers of both Woods and his wife, Elin Nordegren, were both at the scene of the accident when Adams made the 911 call. Adams and Harris told the FHP that no one at the scene made any mention of pulling Tiger out of the car, or using a golf club to smash in windows. There were no clubs on the ground at the scene, they said, instead telling the FHP that there were two clubs placed in a nearby golf cart.

Weekend box office
Finally, a weekend at the box office that’s full of big releases, instead of one film that will run away with it all. Although the new films are made up of some Oscar contenders, the releases are low-profile enough that “The Blind Side” will continue to gain momentum, and be No. 1 come Sunday.

But back to the best of the two new releases: “Brothers,” with Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire, opens in a hefty 2,000 theaters. Thanks to solid promotion by studio Lionsgate, which definitely hopes we’re hearing about this film at Oscar time, it should do well. But not as well as “Everybody’s Fine,” another Oscar hopeful starring a diverse cast featuring Kate Beckinsale, Robert De Niro and Drew Barrymore.

Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter @courtneyatmsnbc

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