Ex-DHS chief Kristi Noem files for divorce from husband after bimbofication scandal
Former US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has filed for divorce from her husband, Bryon Noem, after 34 years of marriage, according to court records cited by US media.
Noem filed the divorce petition in Hamlin County, South Dakota, on Monday, citing "irreconcilable differences". The filing comes months after a report about Bryon Noem's alleged secret online life triggered a wave of attention around the couple.
The two had been married since 1992 after meeting in high school. They have three adult children -- daughters Kassidy, 31, and Kennedy, 29, and son Booker, 23. The family also includes several grandchildren.THE REPORT THAT SHOOK THE NOEM FAMILY
The marriage came under scrutiny in March after the Daily Mail published a report about Bryon Noem's alleged interactions with women involved in the online "bimbofication" scene.
The term refers to a fetish subculture centred on exaggerated, hyper-feminine appearances inspired by the idea of a Barbie-like figure. The Daily Mail said it had reviewed hundreds of messages involving Bryon and three women associated with the scene. The report also published photographs that it said showed Bryon wearing feminine clothing and artificial breasts. It further reported that he had exchanged messages with online adult performers and spent money on some of them.
Among the messages cited in the report was Bryon's comment that he wanted "huge, huge ridiculous b****".
The revelations came shortly after Noem left her position as Homeland Security secretary. Her representative said at the time that she was "devastated" by the report and that the family had been caught off guard.
"The family was blindsided by this, and they ask for privacy and prayers at the time," Noem's representatives told The New York Post.
The story quickly became a national talking point, given Noem's prominent role in the Trump administration and her position at the helm of the Department of Homeland Security.WHAT DID BRYON NOEM SAY?
Bryon Noem did not immediately give a detailed public response to the allegations. In April, when approached by The New York Times, he indicated that he would eventually speak about the reports.
"I will at some point. Today is not the day. I appreciate your heart," he said.
The controversy did not end there. Other women later came forward claiming they had communicated with Bryon. One webcam model, Lydia Love, said he had been her client. Further claims surfaced during the summer, including an allegation from a Colorado sex worker that Bryon had used a phone associated with his insurance business for paid calls.DIVORCE PLANS EMERGED IN JULY
By July, reports indicated that the strain had moved beyond controversy and into the couple's personal life. Noem's mother, Corinne Arnold, told the Daily Mail that her daughter planned to divorce Bryon. Arnold said the family knew the marriage was heading towards a split.
The filing on Monday now formally confirms that the divorce process has begun.
Before the controversy brought his private life into the spotlight, Bryon Noem had largely kept a low public profile. A South Dakota native, he grew up on a farm and later worked in banking and financial services before starting a crop insurance business, according to his National Governors Association biography.
Meanwhile, Noem continues to remain active in the Trump administration's foreign-policy and security initiatives despite her departure from Homeland Security. She was removed as DHS secretary in March and was subsequently appointed special envoy for the State Department's Shield of the Americas initiative, a multinational effort focused on security and countering organised crime in the Western Hemisphere.
She has continued to appear alongside Trump on several occasions. She also attended a meeting between Trump and South American leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly last week. Her new role includes an office at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace near the Lincoln Memorial and National Mall.- Ends
