Kristi Noem, the former homeland security secretary and South Dakota governor, is seeking to end her 34-year marriage to Bryon Noem, citing “irreconcilable differences” in a divorce complaint.
The case is in Hamlin County, in the couple’s home state. The paperwork went to the court in April but did not appear online until Monday, according to The Associated Press. The Noems wed in May 1992 and have three children.
Kristi Noem’s lawyer, Michael Sabers, confirmed the filing. Any further comment from her will come through the legal process, he said.
On the other side, attorney Tim Bottum described his client as “saddened that the marriage is ending.” Should the case go before a judge, Bottum said, Bryon Noem would be glad to give his own account.
“Bryon’s priority is to protect the family and move forward as loving parents and grandparents.”
The divorce comes months after Kristi Noem’s ties to adviser Corey Lewandowski drew scrutiny. On the day before Trump removed her from his Cabinet, lawmakers pressed her about an alleged extramarital affair with him. She rejected the claims as “tabloid garbage.”
Lewandowski managed Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016. At DHS, he held a special government employee post meant to restrict how many days he could work. Even so, his influence over the department appeared unusually large.
As homeland security secretary from January 2025 to March 2026, Noem directed Trump’s immigration enforcement push. She was once among his closest allies, but she turned into a political burden for the Republican president as her actions after two Minneapolis shootings came under question. In both, immigration officers killed protesters.
Noem portrayed the two victims, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as the aggressors. Witnesses and video recorded at the scene told a different story. Members of her own party also faulted her over spending at DHS.
To succeed her, Trump picked Markwayne Mullin, then serving as a senator from Oklahoma. Noem was given a new role as special envoy for The Shield of the Americas, a recently launched effort centered on security in the Western Hemisphere.
