Noem Responds to Report on Husband's Alleged Double Life

Kristi Noem's public image as a family-first conservative is colliding with new headlines regarding her husband. A statement from the former Homeland Security secretary says she's "devastated" and that her family was "blindsided" by a Daily Mail report claiming husband Bryon Noem maintains a separate online life that includes cross-dressing and interactions with fetish models, per the New York Times. Her reps are now asking for privacy and prayers, per the New York Post, which noted it hasn't independently verified the Daily Mail's claims. Bryon Noem, for his part, tells the Times in regard to being interviewed about this: "I will at some point. Today is not the day. I appreciate your heart."

The Daily Mail story cites alleged messages and photos in which Bryon Noem reportedly praises performers from a niche fetish subculture, shares images of himself in tight clothing (including one that shows balloons apparently stuffed under his shirt to resemble a woman's breasts), and makes comments about exaggerated breast sizes. Bryon Noem also seemingly sent thousands of dollars to women via payment apps. National security experts quoted by the outlet suggested that such behavior, if authentic, could pose blackmail risks for a high-profile official.

The Noems, married since 1992 with three adult children, have long presented themselves as an "open book," per the Post, even as questions about their marriage and Kristi Noem's relationship with Trump ally Corey Lewandowski have simmered in recent years. One woman whom Bryon Noem seems to have corresponded with told the Daily Mail that she'd broached the subject of a possible affair between his wife and Lewandowski, to which Bryon Noem allegedly responded, "I know. There's nothing I can do about it."

One big name has weighed in on the development: Kristi Noem's boss, and he seemed surprised that his ex-DHS chief acknowledged the report. "They confirmed it? Wow, well, I feel badly for the family if that's the case, that's too bad," President Trump tells the Daily Mail. "I haven't seen anything. I don't know anything about it. That's too bad, but I just know nothing about it." More here from the Noems' neighbors on the story.