Kristi Noem, the former US homeland security secretary and ex-governor of South Dakota, has filed for divorce from her husband, Bryon Noem, citing "irreconcilable differences." The complaint was filed in Hamlin County, South Dakota, and ends a marriage that began in May 1992. The couple have three adult children.
According to court records, the document was signed by Noem's lawyer, Michael Sabers, on 6 April, though it appears to have been made public only later. The Guardian reported that the papers were filed in court this week, while the Associated Press, citing the filing date, said it was made in April but posted online on a Monday. Sabers confirmed the filing and said his client would reserve further comment for the legal process. Bryon Noem's attorney, Tim Bottum, said his client was "saddened that the marriage is ending" and wanted to "protect the family and move forward as loving parents and grandparents." He added that Bryon Noem would welcome the chance to share his perspective if court proceedings became necessary.
The filing came just over a week after the Daily Mail published pictures of Bryon Noem wearing inflated fake breasts under a spandex shirt. Kristi Noem said at the time she was "devastated" and that the family had been "blindsided." Her marriage had already attracted public attention because of questions about her relationship with Corey Lewandowski, a special government employee and one of her senior advisers at the Department of Homeland Security. Lewandowski was Donald Trump's first campaign manager in 2016 and appeared to play an outsized role at the department.
On 4 March, at a congressional hearing attended by her husband, a Democratic lawmaker asked Noem under oath whether she had a sexual relationship with Lewandowski. She dismissed the question as "tabloid garbage" but, according to the Guardian, did not directly deny it. Trump fired her the next day, reportedly angered by her answers about a taxpayer-funded publicity campaign promoting her image. Noem told the committee that Trump had approved the spending.
Her time leading the department, from January 2025 to March 2026, was marked by controversy. Two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot dead by immigration officers in Minneapolis during an enforcement surge. Noem described both as aggressors and "domestic terrorists," which contradicted video from the scene and accounts from bystanders. She also drew criticism from fellow Republicans over department spending. Trump nominated Markwayne Mullin, then a senator from Oklahoma, to replace her, and named Noem special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a new security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere.
The divorce adds a personal chapter to the end of a political career that was once closely tied to Trump. Neither side has detailed the terms of any settlement.