Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema faces ‘homewrecker’ lawsuit over alleged affair
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
North Carolina’s controversial “home-wrecking laws” are drawing national attention to deeply personal marriage scandals, and this time a former U.S. senator is at the center of the case.
Former Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is accused of pursuing an affair with a married bodyguard, triggering a high-profile “alienation of affection” case under North Carolina law, according to the complaint reviewed by Fox News Digital.
In the lawsuit filed by Heather Ammel in Moore County Superior Court, it is alleged that Sinema deliberately stalked her husband, Matthew Ammel, even though she knew he was married with children. Sinema allegedly sent “romantic and sensual” Signal messages, showered her with gifts and invited her on trips to Napa Valley and New York, according to the complaint.
The complaint also alleges Sinema suggested that Matthew Ammel bring MDMA on a business trip so she could “guide him through a psychedelic experience.”
HE ACCUSES HIS PATTERN EX LOVE SİNEMA OF ‘BAD’ MARRIAGE INTERVENTION
Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., speaks to reporters in the Ohio Clock Corridor at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 9. The Justice Department is considering investigating Sinema for possible campaign finance violations during the Biden administration, a report said. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images)
But beyond the sensational claims lies a larger cultural struggle over marriage, responsibility, and whether the law should punish those accused of aiding the destruction of a family.
“It’s interesting,” University of Virginia sociologist and family expert Brad Wilcox told Fox News Digital. “One of the few norms that Americans still widely embrace is the norm of loyalty.”
Wilcox argued that laws like North Carolina’s reflect a broader public belief that marriage vows are still important; even in a culture increasingly saturated with celebrity cheating scandals, viral incidents, and social media-fueled hook-up culture.
ASHLEY MADISON REVEALS THE TOP 20 AMERICAN CITIES FOR SCANDAL AND ADULTERARY BEHAVIOR THIS WINTER
“These laws are designed to strengthen the marriage bond and ensure the importance of fidelity in marriage,” Wilcox said.
North Carolina remains one of the few states that still allows alienation of affection lawsuits, which allow a spouse to sue a third party accused of aiding the breakdown of the marriage. Plaintiffs can seek large monetary damages, and in some cases, juries can return verdicts worth millions.
Critics say the cases are outdated relics of old English common law. But supporters argue the law recognizes that infidelity can cause devastating emotional and financial harm that extends far beyond the couple involved.
FORMER NFL STAR STEVE SMITH SR FACES LAWSUIT OVER ALLEGED RELATIONSHIP UNDER EXTRAORDINARY STATE LAW: REPORT
“These laws are designed to strengthen the marriage bond and ensure the importance of fidelity in marriage,” Wilcox said. (getty)
“What people don’t see is how what happens in our marriages affects adults, children and communities,” Wilcox said.
He noted research showing infidelity is one of the strongest predictors of divorce and warned that this could be especially serious for children.
“Children whose parents divorce are about half as likely to graduate from college,” Wilcox said. “They are significantly more likely to struggle with depression. Boys are significantly more likely to end up in jail or prison.”
NEW YORK HEIRE BELLE BURDEN’S EX-husband gave up his children after the incident and tore the family apart: MEMORY
“So the idea that infidelity is a private little matter between two consenting adults is simply not true,” he added. “It can lead to devastating emotional and financial costs on adults and children.”
For veteran North Carolina family attorney Charles R. Ullman, who is board certified in family law and has dealt with the effects of broken marriages for decades, cases also provide something many betrayed spouses feel they don’t otherwise have: accountability.
“This is one of the few ways that people can feel like they’re getting some kind of relief,” Ullman told Fox News Digital. “If you don’t have that case, you have no recourse for someone to be a ‘homewrecker’ or actually get involved and not walk away from their partner.”
WATCH: Marriage expert weighs in on North Carolina’s controversial ‘homewrecker’ laws
DOCTOR ACCUSES HIS YOUNG EX-MEME OF SENDING NAKED TO HIS WIFE AFTER THEIR RELATIONSHIP, OFFERING PARTNER CHANGE AND CELEBRITY CHEATING
Ullman pushed back against critics who argued that the lawsuits unfairly target third parties rather than cheating husbands and wives.
“In the family law context, you cannot receive monetary relief because of an affair,” Ullman said. “But you can do something to obtain monetary damages against a mistress. And often that mistress actually caused the monetary damage.”
He compared the cases to other areas of civil law where people are allowed to recover damages resulting from another person’s conduct.
JOURNALIST OLIVIA NUZZI ADMITS TO ‘STRAPPING’ AFTER ALLEGED SEX RELATIONSHIP WITH RFK JR
“We have all kinds of laws that allow us to recover damages resulting from someone else’s conduct,” Ullman said. “One question you might have is, why not have that instead of having that?” it could be.
Wilcox argued that the allegations against Sinema also tapped into growing public anger against elite figures accused of ignoring social norms that many ordinary Americans still hold dear.
“This case gives us an example of our elites doing things that undermine arguably the most important institution in our country,” Wilcox said. “The law here basically tells us that third parties have real moral and legal responsibilities when they intervene and end a marriage.”
BIDEN DOJ AND FBI LAUNCHED CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AFTER KYRSTEN SİNEMA LEAVED THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
North Carolina is one of the few states with “homewrecker” laws. (iStock)
Lawyers also say the digital age is changing the way events play out and play out in court.
“It’s really easy to send a text message, a suggestive picture, or something more sensational,” Ullman said, holding up her cell phone during the interview. “With cell phone or online access, you can have these long conversations whenever you can sneak away.”
Encrypted messaging apps, disappearing messages, social media DMs and reconnecting with former partners online have become recurring themes in modern infidelity cases, he said.
AI DEEPFAKE ROMANCE SCAM STOLE WOMAN’S HOME AND LIFE
“I can’t tell you how many times you’ve lived through the high school romance scenario,” Ullman said. “People reconnect with someone from their past and it becomes an idealization frozen in time.”
While celebrity relationships may turn into memes or tabloid news online, Ullman said the real-world consequences behind the headlines aren’t funny at all.
“Nothing good happens when you get divorced,” he said. “It affects every aspect of your life: your finances, your children, your emotions, your perception of the world.”
NEW YORK HEIRE BELLE BURDEN TOLD THE VOICE MESSAGE THAT ROOT HER HUSBAND’S DOUBLE LIFE: MEMORY
“When people find out their partner is having an affair, they often experience a reaction akin to shock,” he added.
GOT A TIP?
North Carolina also recognizes a related claim known as “criminal speech,” which differs from alienation of affection in one important respect.
“The alienation of love is the theft of the emotions, the theft of the heart,” Ullman explained. “Criminal speech is the idea that you have a special right to have sexual intercourse with your partner.”
Still, Ullman acknowledged that the lawsuits are mostly about helping distraught spouses seek some justice after the damage has already been done, rather than hindering relationships.
“I think it’s more about trying to find a cure,” he said. “To give the person who has been wronged an opportunity for some form of relief.”
GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL
Still, both Ullman and Wilcox said the continued popularity of these cases with North Carolina juries reflects something deeper about how Americans still view marriage.
4 SIMPLE GOALS THAT WILL MAKE YOUR MARRIAGE EASIER AND HELP YOU LOVE YOUR SPOUSE FOR A LIFETIME
Parents are sitting on the couch with their little daughter using tablet at home. (iStock)
“I think it’s in people’s hearts that preserving marriages is the right thing to do,” Ullman said. “Marriage vows are around because people believe they have something.”
CLICK HERE FOR OTHER USA NEWS
Wilcox echoed this sentiment, calling marriage one of the strongest predictors of long-term happiness in America.
“One of the strongest predictors of adult happiness in America today for both men and women is a good marriage,” Wilcox said. “Data is more important than money, career success, frequent sex, and even religious belief.”
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
“Infidelity,” he added, “is a dagger to the heart of a marriage.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Sinema, her legal team and attorneys representing Heather Ammel for comment.
