Rachel Uchitel

Rachel Uchitel (/ˈjuːkɪtɛl/; born January 29, 1975)[2] is an American nightclub manager, hostess, and TV correspondent. She first encountered publicity when, following the September 11 attacks, a photo of her holding a picture of her fiancé, who worked in the World Trade Center, was published on the front page of the New York Post and circulated worldwide. She made headlines again in 2010 as one of golfer Tiger Woods' mistresses. In 2010, she appeared in the fourth season of the American reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

Rachel Uchitel
Born (1975-01-29) January 29, 1975
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Occupation(s)Nightclub manager, hostess, TV correspondent, media personality
Known forPhotographed in 9/11 aftermath
Affair with Tiger Woods
Spouses
Steven Ehrenkranz
​
​
(m. 2004; div. 2004)​
    Matt Hahn
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2011; div. 2014)​
    [1]
    Children1

    Early life

    Uchitel is the daughter of Robert N. Uchitel (1946–1990) and the granddaughter of Maurice Uchitel (1911-2000) a restaurant and nightclub owner born in the Russian Empire. He owned several establishments in the 1950s and 1960s, including the El Morocco nightclub.[3] Her surname Uchitel (Russian: Учитель, [ʊˈt͡ɕʲitʲɪlʲ]) means "teacher" in Russian and several other Slavic languages.

    At the age of 13, she was sent to CEDU School in Running Springs, California where she claims she was made to dig a grave with a spoon and then lie in it.[4] Several years later, CEDU would be shutdown after losing several lawsuits for battery, neglect, racketeering, invasion of privacy, and child abuse.

    In 1990, her father died of a cocaine overdose.[5] According to Uchitel, her father's death required her to mature quickly and was one of the incidents in her life that led to her own addictions later.[6]

    She graduated from Millbrook School in 1992 and graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1996 with a degree in psychology.[7] She spent five years after college as a news producer in New York for Bloomberg Television.[2][8]

    Career

    Television

    Uchitel began her career after college working in television and film, with a five-year stint as a producer in the Bloomberg News television division, a period in which she became "engaged to a man who died in the 9/11 attacks."[9][10] Uchitel has served as a special correspondent on nightlife for Extra.

    VIP hosting

    In 2005, Uchitel moved to Las Vegas and was a VIP hostess at the Tao in Las Vegas, Nevada,[11][12] the following year, and whose ownership included occasional boyfriend Jason Strauss.[8][9] She said, "In a random career move and a life-changing experience, I found myself living in Las Vegas to launch Tao nightclub and restaurant.... Two years later, I was back in New York to oversee VIP operations for all of their companies and venues, such as Stanton Social, Marquee, Tao Bistro, and Dune.[10] Uchitel ran the VIP section of "some of the most successful clubs in New York."[10] As of 2009, Uchitel was living in Las Vegas but self-described as "too old for being a VIP host anymore".[9]

    Other endeavors

    In December 2013, Uchitel opened a children's boutique on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The store was named Wyatt Lily after her 2-year-old daughter and was named "Best Kids Birthday Presents" in New York magazine's annual Best Of issue in 2015.[13] It has since closed down.

    Media appearances

    Uchitel was a cast member in the fourth season of the VH1 reality television program Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew which documents notable persons being treated for substance abuse – in her case, alcohol, opiates, and benzodiazepines.[14] Dr. Drew Pinsky, who normally is not involved with casting for the series[15] reportedly visited Uchitel personally in order to convince her to be cast on the show, for which she was paid $500,000 to appear – double the amount initially offered to her by producers.[16]

    Personal life

    Uchitel had been engaged to James Andrew O'Grady, a managing director of Sandler O'Neill who was killed in the September 11 attacks of the World Trade Center.[8][17] A few days later she appeared on the front page of the New York Post holding a picture of O'Grady, which was republished worldwide.[2][18][19][20] Uchitel and her fiancé's family subsequently debated the disposition of his estate.[17][21]

    In 2004, Uchitel married Wall Street trader and childhood friend Steven Ehrenkranz.[8][22] Their marriage lasted four months.[23]

    In late 2009, The National Enquirer published a story that alleged that Uchitel had had an affair with Tiger Woods at the Australian Masters,[24] an allegation Uchitel denied to the Associated Press.[25]

    In 2010, actor David Boreanaz admitted to having an affair with Uchitel, who he claimed tried to blackmail him.[26] At the time of the affair Boreanaz's wife was pregnant.[27]

    On October 2, 2011 she married insurance underwriter and former Penn State fullback Matt Hahn.[28] In May 2012, Uchitel gave birth to a daughter.[29] Hahn filed for divorce from Uchitel in 2013.[30] The divorce was finalized in January 2014.[1]

    References and notes
    1. "Rachel Uchitel Back on the Market Divorce Final". TMZ. January 15, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
    2. "Rachel Uchitel: Tiger Woods' Alleged Mistress". Time. December 2, 2009. Archived from the original on December 5, 2009. Retrieved June 11, 2013. Born in 1975 to a wealthy family.
    3. Zwecker, Bill (May 7, 2000). "Maurice Uchitel, 88, Owner of El Morocco". The New York Times. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
    4. Kaufman, Amy (January 17, 2021). "Will Rachel Uchitel Ever be Able to Leave the Word 'Mistress' Behind Her?". Los Angeles Times.
    5. Rosman, Katherine (August 9, 2021). "This Is Rachel Uchitel, Representing Herself". The New York Times.
    6. Uchitel discusses these issues in Episodes 1 and 6 of Celebrity Rehab's fourth season, which premiered on December 1 and December 22, 2010, respectively.
    7. Namuo, Clynton (December 5, 2009). "UNH grad is twist in Tiger's tale". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved December 7, 2009. ("Rachel Uchitel, who graduated from UNH in December 1996 with a degree in psychology…")
    8. "Who Is Rachel Uchitel, Tiger Woods's Alleged Other Woman?". New York. nymag.com. November 30, 2009. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
    9. Taddeo, Lisa (April 4, 2010). "A Look Inside the Life of Rachel Uchitel and Fellow VIP Hosts and Bottle Girls" (online expositional feature). New York: 2. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
    10. Industry Insiders: Rachel Uchitel, VIP Diva, Black Book, November 30, 2009
    11. Strip hot spots reap harvest from bottle-service tables Las Vegas Review-Journal, January 8, 2006
    12. Garza, Xazmin (December 22, 2005). "A How-to Manual On What To Wear, Getting In And Getting Noticed (Or Not)". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
    13. Best Kids Birthday Presents New York magazine March 2015
    14. Rachel Uchitel Signs Up for Celebrity Rehab 4
    15. Rochlin, Margy (November 3, 2008), "Paging Dr. Drew", TV Guide, p. 25
    16. "Rachel Uchitel Goes to 'Rehab'...For a Price". TMZ.com. July 19, 2010.
    17. Dewan, Shaila K. (January 22, 2002). "No Dress, No Vows, and Less Status in Grief". The New York Times. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
    18. Quealy, Gerit (December 12, 2004). "Vows: Rachel Uchitel and Steven Ehrenkranz". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
    19. "9/11 - the terror attacks that changed the world". Bild. September 11, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
    20. Vryenhoek, Leslie (June 6, 2003). "The danger of mourning strangers". Toronto Star. Retrieved December 7, 2009. ("The image of Rachel Uchitel making an emotional plea as she searches for her fiancé in Manhattan was used in newspapers worldwide.")
    21. "Who Is Rachel Uchitel?: A Brief Biographical Timeline of Tiger Woods' Alleged Mistress". The Week. November 30, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
    22. Goldman, Russell (December 1, 2009). "Rachel Uchitel, Tiger Woods' Rumored Girlfriend, 'Felt Very Lost' After 9/11". ABC News. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
    23. Zwecker, Bill (December 1, 2009). "'Man-crazy' Uchitel". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 4, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
    24. Chandler, Rick (June 8, 2010). "Woods declares for Australian Masters...or as we call it, Rachel Uchitel II - Out of Bounds". NBC Sports. nbcsports.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
    25. Armour, Nancy (November 30, 2009). "Image gurus to Woods: Go public like Letterman". Bleacher Report. Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2015. The woman, Rachel Uchitel, denied having an affair with Woods when contacted by The Associated Press.
    26. Garcia, Jennifer (May 3, 2010). "David Boreanaz Admits: I Cheated on My Wife". People. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
    27. "David Boreanaz Says Affair Made His Marriage Stronger". The Huffington Post. November 10, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
    28. Rachel Uchitel weds boyfriend Matt Hahn
    29. Ravitz, Justin (May 16, 2012). "Rachel Uchitel Welcomes Baby Girl!". Us Weekly.
    30. "Rachel Uchitel Getting Divorced". TMZ.com. June 11, 2013.
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