Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has filed for divorce from her husband of over three decades, Bryon Noem, six months after a tabloid published photos that appeared to show him wearing women’s clothing and fake breasts and reported that he maintained a secret online presence in which he communicated with adult performers.
Court documents reviewed by MS NOW show that Kristi Noem initiated the filing on Monday in Hamlin County, South Dakota, citing irreconcilable differences.
Kristi Noem’s attorneys signed the documents on April 6, though they were not filed with the court until Monday. The complaint contains a temporary restraining order that prevents either party transferring assets or from “harassing, molesting, or disturbing the peace of the other,” as required by law in South Dakota.
In a statement provided to MS NOW, her attorney, Michael Sabers, said Kristi Noem “has great faith in the South Dakota judicial system and will reserve any further comments for the legal process.”
The Noems share three children and four grandchildren. Bryon Noem is a longtime insurance agent and became South Dakota’s inaugural first gentleman after Kristi Noem was elected the state’s first female governor in 2018.
Images first published by the Daily Mail in March appear to show Bryon Noem wearing women’s clothing and posing with makeshift exaggerated features, while also engaging in hundreds of online conversations with individuals in the so-called “bimbofication” scene.
MS NOW has not independently verified the images or the Daily Mail’s reporting, and it remains unclear how the material was obtained.
A spokesperson for Noem told the New York Post in March that she is “devastated” and the “family was blindsided by this, and they ask for privacy and prayers at the time.”
An attorney for Bryon Noem did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s request for comment.
President Donald Trump told the Daily Mail in March he wasn’t aware about the photos and was surprised that the Noem family confirmed they were authentic.
The revelations raised concern among some security experts, who said such material could have posed a potential blackmail risk given Noem, who currently serves as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas, is in a high-level national security position. It is unclear if anyone else inside the administration knew about the alleged photographs.
The controversy adds to a series of challenges surrounding Noem this year. She was removed from her post as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in March following intense scrutiny over her leadership during her tenure, including DHS officers’ aggressive tactics in Minnesota.
Noem has also faced scrutiny over her relationship with Corey Lewandowski, a special government employee and longtime political ally of Trump. While both have described their connection as professional, reports of frequent contact and close coordination have raised questions among critics about the nature of their working relationship.
Sydney Reynolds contributed to this report.
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