Former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has begun divorce proceedings with her husband, Bryon Noem, according to her mother, Corinne Arnold. The announcement follows earlier revelations about Bryon Noem's online activities, which included engaging with fetish models and participating in the "bimbofication" trend.
Arnold told the Daily Mail that the divorce was anticipated. "It has been difficult, but we knew this was coming, that they were going to get divorced," she stated from her home adjacent to the ranch where the couple raised their three children.
Reports in late March detailed Bryon Noem's online interactions, which involved conversations with individuals from the fetish scene. The scene reportedly includes adult performers who augment their appearance to achieve a "Barbie doll" aesthetic, a trend Bryon Noem was said to have participated in himself. Images released earlier this year showed Bryon Noem wearing a silicone breastplate and a purple garment.
Kristi Noem served as the Governor of South Dakota from 2019 to 2024. Prior to that, she was the U.S. Representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district from 2011 to 2019 and served as the Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Revenue from 2006 to 2010. She also served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. Her husband, Bryon Noem, has been a rancher and farmer in South Dakota.