Sinema Confirms Romance in Alienation of Affection Suit

Former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has acknowledged a romantic relationship with her former bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, in a court filing responding to a lawsuit filed by Ammel's ex-wife in North Carolina.

The lawsuit, brought by Heather Ammel in Moore County Superior Court in September 2025, accuses Sinema of interfering in her marriage to Matthew Ammel through wrongful acts that contributed to their separation. Filed under North Carolina's alienation of affection statute, which permits spouses to seek damages from third parties for allegedly damaging marital relations, the complaint requests compensatory and punitive damages, including at least $25,000. Court records indicate the couple separated in October 2024, roughly five months after the relationship between Sinema and Matthew Ammel reportedly began.

In a motion to dismiss filed this week, Sinema confirmed that she and Ammel started a romantic and intimate relationship in late May 2024, with their first physical encounter occurring on May 27 in Sonoma, California. Subsequent encounters took place in New York City, Washington, D.C., Aspen, Colorado, and Phoenix, Arizona, according to the filing. Sinema's legal...