Former US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has started divorce proceedings against her husband Bryon Noem following reports of his alleged secret online cross-dressing activity, according to media accounts.
The accounts quoted Noem’s mother, Corinne Arnold, who indicated the couple’s 34-year marriage had ended amid the controversy.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Arnold said the family had expected the separation. “It has been difficult, but we knew this was coming, that they were going to get divorced,” she stated.
She described a conversation with her daughter at a family birthday event shortly after the claims emerged. “Finally, I said: ‘What’s the deal? Are you going to get together again?’ And she said: ‘No. No. We’re going to get a divorce,'” Arnold recalled.
Arnold noted that Noem had already retained legal counsel to manage the case.
The Daily Mail had reported in March that Bryon Noem allegedly took part in online fetish communities focused on “bimbofication,” posting images of himself in women’s attire. Security specialists reportedly warned that such activity might have created blackmail risks during Noem’s time in office.
Bryon Noem reportedly left the family residence in Castlewood, South Dakota, after the claims became public and now lives roughly 20 miles away while operating his insurance business.
Arnold expressed sadness over the divorce but accepted her daughter’s choice. “I feel bad, sick that they’re getting a divorce, but what else can you do?” she said.
She added that Bryon remained part of the family for many years and continued to be loved by his grandchildren.
Both Kristi Noem and Bryon Noem declined to comment on the matter, the Daily Mail reported.
