After 34 years, Kristi Noem is divorcing, says mother
Kristi Noem Her mother said she plans to divorce her husband of 34 years, Bryon Noem, publicly ending a marriage that came under renewed scrutiny this year after allegations about her private life emerged in a tabloid investigation.
Noem’s mother, Corinne Arnold, told the Daily Mail: former Homeland Security secretary This spring, he shared his decision with family members. The statement comes months after a Daily Mail report alleged Bryon Noem paid adult entertainers and cross-dressed during role-playing encounters, according to a spokesperson; this left the family “blindsided”.
“I said: ‘What happened? Are you going to get back together?’ And he said: ‘No. No. We’re going to divorce,'” Arnold said.
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Arnold said Noem announced her plans as relatives gathered to celebrate the birthday of one of the couple’s grandchildren.
“It was hard, but we knew it was going to happen, we knew they were going to get a divorce,” Arnold said.
Noem was relieved of her duties as Homeland Security secretary on March 5 and was later appointed special envoy for the Trump administration’s “Shield of the Americas” initiative. USA TODAY could not immediately reach Kristi Noem for comment.
Why is Kristi Noem getting divorced?
According to Arnold, Noem announced her plans shortly after the Daily Mail published allegations about Bryon Noem’s private life.
The British tabloid reported that Bryon Noem paid adult entertainers and cross-dressed while performing. The publication said its reporting was based on messages, audio recordings and photographs that allegedly showed him wearing women’s clothing and using accessories.
After the report was released, a spokesperson for Kristi Noem told the New York Post that she was “devastated” by the allegations.
“The family was caught off guard by this situation and is asking for privacy and prayers at this time,” the spokesperson said.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Kristi Noem hugs her husband Bryon Noem before giving her acceptance speech after the results are in at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Sioux Falls on Tuesday, June 5, 2018.
Who is Bryon Noem?
Bryon and Kristi Noem married in Watertown, South Dakota in 1992 and they have three children: Kassidy, Kennedy and BookerAccording to the National Governors Association.
Bryon Noem works in the insurance industry and earned a degree in business finance from Northern State University. Before becoming an insurance agent, he coached basketball and worked on the Noem family farm.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. He is USA TODAY’s trending news reporter. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Kristi Noem divorced after 34 years, mother says
