Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has filed for divorce from her husband, Bryon Noem, ending a marriage that has been under public scrutiny for months.
Court documents filed in South Dakota cite “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split. The filing was submitted April 6 but did not appear on Hamlin County’s online court system until Monday.
The couple married in 1992 and share three adult children.
The divorce filing comes months after reports exposed Bryon’s private online activity, including alleged explicit exchanges with adult models and participation in a cross-dressing fetish community.
Photos published earlier this year showed Bryon wearing pink shorts, a crop top and exaggerated prosthetic breasts as part of what was described as a “bimbofication” fetish.
He was also reported to have sent at least $25,000 to online models through PayPal and Cash App while using the alias “Jason Jackson.”
One model said she identified him after accidentally calling a number and hearing a voicemail greeting for Noem Insurance, the South Dakota insurance agency Bryon operates.
A spokesman for Kristi said at the time that she was ‘devastated’ and that the family had been ‘blindsided’ by the revelations.
Asked about the divorce proceedings by a South Dakota news outlet, Bryon said: ‘I can’t comment right now.’
The split had been expected for months.
Kristi’s mother, Corinne Arnold, said in July that her daughter had told family members she planned to end the marriage and had hired a Sioux Falls attorney.
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‘It has been difficult, but we knew this was coming, that they were going to get divorced,’ Arnold told the Daily Mail.
‘I feel bad, sick that they’re getting a divorce, but what else can you do?’ she added.
By that point, Bryon had reportedly moved out of the couple’s Castlewood home and was living about 20 miles away.
The marriage had also faced years of public speculation surrounding Kristi’s relationship with longtime political adviser Corey Lewandowski.
Kristi Noem and Lewandowski have denied allegations that they had a romantic affair, and no independently verified evidence has publicly established one.
The two were photographed together in Minnesota in August, including at a lunch and while cycling near Lake Minnetonka.
Their professional relationship had already drawn scrutiny during Kristi’s tenure at the Department of Homeland Security, where Lewandowski served as an unpaid adviser.
During a congressional hearing in March, Kristi was directly questioned about allegations involving Lewandowski and dismissed the line of questioning as tabloid material.
Her marriage drama intensified around the same time she left the Department of Homeland Security and later took a State Department role as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.
Donald Trump also reacted publicly after reports about Bryon’s online activity surfaced.
‘Wow, well, I feel badly for the family if that’s the case, that’s too bad.’
Kristi later appeared in Pierre, South Dakota, for the unveiling of a life-sized bronze statue honoring her tenure as governor.
Her mother and grandchildren attended the ceremony, but Bryon was not present.
Now, after months of separation and public controversy, the legal filing makes the couple’s breakup official.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
