Who Is Kristi Noem’s Estranged Husband, Bryon Noem? What to Know Amid Her Divorce Filing

Lynsey Eidell, Samantha StutsmanTue, September 29, 2026 at 8:24 PM UTC

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Kristi Noem; Bryon NoemCredit: Rebecca Blackwell / POOL / AFP via Getty; Heather Diehl/GettyKristi Noem filed for divorce from Bryon Noem in September 2026 -

Kristi Noem married Bryon Noem in 1992

They share three children: Kassidy, Kennedy and Booker

The former Department of Homeland Security secretary filed for divorce from Bryon in September 2026

Kristi Noem and Bryon Noem’s decades-long marriage is coming to an end.

The former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary under President Donald Trumpfiled for divorce from Bryon on Sept. 28. She and Bryon married in 1992 and share three children, Kassidy, Kennedy and Booker.

Kristi’s divorce filing comes amid a turbulent year for the former couple, who have both faced public scrutiny in recent months.

During a House Judiciary Committee hearing in March 2026, Kristi was asked about allegations that she had an affair with Trump’s aide Corey Lewandowski. She dismissed the question as “garbage,” but did not give a direct answer. Kristi previously vehemently denied the affair when she was first accused in 2021. On March 24, Kristi left the DHS and was replaced by Markwayne Mullin.

Later that month, Bryon became the subject of headlines after the Daily Mail published photos that showed him dressed in women’s clothing, including fake breasts and pink hot pants. The outlet also reported that he had spent at least $25,000 interacting with online fetish models in the “bimbofication” community.

At the time, a representative for Kristi told the New York Post, “Ms. Noem is devastated. The family was blindsided by this, and they ask for privacy and prayers at the time.”

After The New York Times requested an interview with Bryon several times that month, he responded via text, “I will at some point. Today is not the day. I appreciate your heart.”

Here’s what to know about Kristi Noem’s estranged husband, Bryon Noem.

Kristi and Bryon attended high school together in South Dakota

Bryon Noem listens as Secretary Kristi Noem testifies before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on May 20, 2025, in Washington, DC.Credit: ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP via Getty

Kristi and Bryon both grew up on farms in Hamlin County, S.D. They attended the same high school, where Bryon was two years older than Kristi. Despite their age gap, the two knew each other because Bryon was friends with Kristi’s older brother.

The two began dating when Kristi was a junior in high school, and Bryon was a college freshman.

They married in 1992

Bryon and Kristi married on May 23, 1992, when Kristi was a 20-year-old college student at Northern State University. Within two years, she was pregnant with their first child.

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They worked on Kristi’s family farm together after her father’s death

Kristi Noem and Bryon Noem in 2026Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty

Kristi’s father, Ronald Arnold, died on March 10, 1994, in an accident on their family farm. According to the local newspaper, Arnold had climbed into a grain bin to fix a problem when the grain collapsed and smothered him. He was 49.

At the time, Kristi was pregnant with her first child and taking classes at Northern State University. After her father’s sudden death, Kristi dropped out of Northern State and helped run the family’s farm, per CBS News.

Bryon joined Kristi in the endeavor, along with Kristi’s mother and siblings, and raised cattle, corn, soybeans and wheat, before eventually opening a hunting lodge and restaurant.

Bryon operated an insurance agency after working on Kristi’s family farm for a decade

Bryon, who has a degree from Northern State University, worked on Kristi’s family farm for 10 years. In 2003, he took a job at Bryant State Bank, managing their insurance agency, according to his bio on the company’s site, which is no longer available.

Seven years later, in 2010, he purchased the agency and turned it into Noem Insurance, according to the National Governors Association. It’s unclear if Noem Insurance is still operational.

Kristi and Bryon have three children and several grandchildren

Kristi Noem with her family in June 2025Credit: Kristi Noem/Instagram

Kristi and Bryon are the parents of three children: daughters Kassidy and Kennedy and son Booker.

Bryon has walked both his daughters down the aisle. His older daughter, Kassidy, married Kyle Peters in June 2019, and Kennedy wed Tanner Frick three years later, in October 2022.

Kassidy and Kennedy have each since welcomed their own children: Kassidy is a mother of three, while Kennedy has one daughter.

Kristi filed for divorce from Bryon in September 2026

Kristi filed for divorce from Bryon on Sept. 28, 2026, in South Dakota’s Hamlin County, citing irreconcilable differences, per Dakota News Now.

The filing comes just a few months after Kristi’s mother, Corinne Arnold, first revealed that the pair planned to end their marriage. In July, Arnold told the Daily Mail that her daughter had informed her at a family gathering that she and Bryon were getting divorced.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”