Kristi Noem, South Dakota’s former governor and one-time Homeland Security secretary, filed for divorce from her husband Bryon on Monday in Hamlin County, South Dakota. The filing cites irreconcilable differences. The couple married in 1992 and have three children together: Kassidy, 31, Kennedy, 29, and Booker, 23. A temporary restraining order is in place under South Dakota law while the case proceeds, which is standard in these filings.
The divorce caps a difficult year for Noem, 54. President Trump fired her from her Homeland Security post in March. Days after that firing, The Daily Mail published a report alleging Bryon Noem paid adult entertainers and dressed as a woman during role-play. A spokesperson said the family was blindsided and that Noem was devastated by the news.
Divorce filings rarely make national headlines, but this one lands at the intersection of politics, a very public firing, and a tabloid scandal that plenty of people were already following. The restraining order is routine, not a signal of anything dramatic, and the case will work its way through South Dakota courts from here. Where do you draw the line between a public figure’s career and their private life? Let us know in the comments.
