Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem files for divorce from her husband of 34 years
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, center, with her husband Bryon Noem, right, seated behind her, appears for an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, March 3, 2026. Credit: AP/J. Scott Applewhite
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has filed for divorce from her husband of 34 years.
Noem, who was tasked with leading President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown from January 2025 to March 2026 and previously served as South Dakota's governor, is seeking a divorce from Bryon Noem in their home state. The two married in May 1992 and have three children.
The filing, submitted to the court in April but posted online on Monday, comes after questions arose earlier this year about the nature of Kristi Noem's relationship with a top adviser. The complaint, filed in Hamlin County, South Dakota, notes “irreconcilable differences” as grounds for the divorce.
Kristi Noem's attorney, Michael Sabers, confirmed that she has filed for divorce and said she will reserve further comments for the legal process.
Tim Bottum, Bryon Noem's attorney, said his client is “saddened that the marriage is ending" and will welcome the opportunity to share his perspective if court proceedings become necessary.
“Bryon’s priority is to protect the family and move forward as loving parents and grandparents,” Bottom said in a statement.
A day before Noem was ousted from her post in Trump's cabinet, members of Congress questioned her about an alleged extramarital affair with Corey Lewandowski, a special government employee and one of her lead advisers at the time. He was Trump’s first campaign manager in 2016 and appeared to play an outsized role in Noem's department, even though his position was supposed to have a limit on days worked.
Kristi Noem, special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, attends a meeting of the multinational political and security coalition "Shield of the Americas" on the sidelines the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the UN headquarters. Credit: AP/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Noem denied the allegations that they were having an affair, dismissing them as “tabloid garbage.”
Once a close ally to Trump, Noem became a liability for the Republican president as questions arose over her conduct following the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis at the hands of immigration officers. Noem characterized both Renee Good and Alex Pretti as aggressors, contradicting videos from the scene and descriptions of their deaths from bystanders. She also faced criticism from fellow Republicans for her spending at her department.
Trump nominated Markwayne Mullin, then a U.S. senator from Oklahoma, in Noem's place and made her a special envoy for The Shield of the Americas, a new security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere.
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