Kristi Noem divorcing husband after online fetish claims

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is divorcing her husband of 34 years, Bryon Noem, following revelations of his secret online activities, according to her mother. The announcement was made during a family gathering this spring, ending a marriage that had been under strain since March reports detailed Bryon Noem's involvement in an online fetish community.

Corinne Arnold, Noem's 77-year-old mother, stated that her daughter revealed the decision at a grandchild's birthday party in late spring, which she described as an "excruciating" event overshadowed by the family's turmoil. Arnold said she pressed her daughter for details after noticing the couple's tension, and Noem confirmed they would divorce. Bryon Noem has since moved out of the family home in Castlewood, South Dakota.

The split follows a March report that included photos of Bryon Noem dressed with prosthetic breasts and alleged he had engaged in online chats with fetish models involved in "bimbofication," a subculture focused on extreme body modification. Arnold referred to the discovery as the "unbearable final blow" to the marriage. Representatives for Kristi Noem said in March that the family was...