Glaring Signs That Kristi Noem's Marriage Is Hanging On By A Thread

Once upon a time, it was difficult to imagine that Kristi Noem and Bryon Noem's strong foundation could be shaken. After all, their love story began when they were young adults. In an interview with Elysian, the MAGA politician shared that she first knew her husband as her brother's friend and a fellow student at her high school. Although Kristi had a bit of a crush on Bryon, she couldn't bring herself to confess her feelings until he went off to college. 

Although they started seeing each other shortly afterward, they kept their relationship super private because Bryon was a more reserved person. However, they both obviously knew their relationship was special because they wound up getting married in 1992 when Kristi was only 20. In the following years, they became proud parents to three children. In 2021, Kristi and her husband hit another major milestone, as they became grandparents to their eldest daughter Kassidy's first child. As the Republican's political career took off and she became the governor of South Dakota in 2019, Bryon happily took on the title of first gentleman of the state. 

While all of that makes it sound like the couple had it all figured out, we would soon see hints that that wasn't the case. In 2021, Kristi would face rumors that she was having an affair with a co-worker. While the eyebrow-raising rumor about Kristi's love life persisted, the Noems' public appearances became even more scarce than before. Even their rare social media shout-outs painted a picture of a couple growing apart. With all of this and more, people couldn't help but wonder if their marriage was done and dusted.

In September 2021, American Greatness reported that Kristi Noem was having an affair with Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump's former aide who had worked on her gubernatorial campaign. The then-South Dakota governor wasted no time in denying the rumors, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to write, "These old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can't achieve anything without a man's help. I love Bryon. I'm proud of the God-fearing family we've raised together" (via CNN). The post has since been deleted. 

Then, in September 2023, an insider informed the New York Post that they were baffled to see Kristi and her rumored lover engaging in some PDA at a hotel bar during the 2021 CPAC, where just about anyone could see them. Around the same time, sources told the Daily Mail that they had seen Kristi flirting with Lewandowski at the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) meeting in August 2020. One source recalled how they had mistakenly concluded that Kristi was Lewandowski's wife after watching their behavior during AMPFest.

According to one source, Bryon "would have lost his mind" if he knew the sheer amount of time that Kristi had spent with Lewandowski outside of work. Unfortunately, at this point, it seems that Bryon is unable to escape the chatter, since people frequently spam Lewandowski's name in his Instagram comments. Unsurprisingly, a  relationship coach exclusively told Glam that the biggest red flag in Kristi's marriage is the erosion of trust from her reported affair. 

In September 2023, a source informed the New York Post that Bryon Noem hadn't lived in Kristi Noem's home in Pierre, South Dakota for about two years, presumably due to the affair chatter. By 2025, it seemed less likely that the Noems were living under the same roof. Based on Bryon's Instagram posts, he was residing in South Dakota in 2025, while his wife relocated to Washington D.C. Granted, Bryon is a private figure, so he may be visiting Kristi and not sharing it with the world. However, the lack of photos could also be a sign that the couple doesn't see each other very often. 

Their living situation seems even weirder when we consider a Daily Mail report from April 2025 claiming that Kristi was living a stone's throw away from her rumored lover, Corey Lewandowski. An anonymous neighbor of the DHS secretary claimed that Lewandowski frequented their apartment complex, divulging, "I've seen them together here both in the elevator and in common areas." To make matters even more suspicious, Donald Trump's former aide was also photographed leaving Kristi's building with a duffel bag. 

Then, in July 2025, the Daily Mail reported that the former South Dakota governor had found a new home in D.C. shortly after the world learned that she was living so close to her rumored boyfriend. Still, a short distance apparently hadn't kept them apart, as Lewandowski continued visiting. While Kristi maintained that she moved due to safety concerns, one insider scoffed, "She and her chief of affair(s) show up to every public safety event like it's a couples' retreat."

Although Kristi Noem has a strange history of inappropriate cosplay outfits, she can't seem to cosplay as a normal wife to Bryon Noem. In Instagram snaps from the Noem family Christmas at the White House in 2025, Kristi looked more like her husband's co-worker, thanks to their awkward body language. In their family photo, the DHS secretary almost appeared to be moving her body away from Bryon and creating additional distance between them with her arm. Their couple's photo similarly looked as if they were in the process of walking away in different directions before someone asked them to strike a pose. Unfortunately, the awkwardness from Christmas didn't hold a candle to their photos from Thanksgiving and Easter 2025.

While the rest of the Noems banded together for a pic at the White House's Easter Egg Roll, Bryon and Kristi remained an arm's length apart with no contact between them whatsoever. The distance between them in photos seemed even more obvious in photos taken with Kassidy Noem and her husband from Thanksgiving. While their daughter and son-in-law leaned into each other, Kristi and Bryon stood stiffly upright. 

It doesn't seem like their efforts to pack on the PDA have gone too well either. To celebrate their 30th anniversary in May 2022, Bryon shared a photo of himself kissing his wife's forehead while she appeared to be visibly cringing. Kristi looked just as uncomfortable when her husband held her in another photo. The small silver lining in these snaps was that none of them featured the worst casual outfits Kristi has worn and posted on social media.

In contrast to previous years, neither Kristi Noem nor Bryon Noem had any sweet words to share about each other on Valentine's Day 2025 or 2026. The 2025 snub seemed even more eyebrow-raising because Kristi had been active on Instagram the day before Valentine's Day. Over the years, Bryon has commemorated Mother's Day with a sweet Instagram tribute to his wife. 

However, he strangely snubbed Kristi on the big day in 2025. They both similarly chose to ignore their anniversary on social media in May. The silence was in stark contrast to Bryon's Instagram tribute from 2024, which read, "Happy [32nd anniversary] to my favorite gal in the whole wide world! It's been a heckuva ride and I'm so glad to have been on it with you. I love you Dear! You bless me."

For Father's Day 2019, Kristi wrote a blog post to thank Bryon for largely taking over their childcare and household responsibilities so that she could focus on her political career. "Bryon is a partner in all I do and a helpmate through peaceful and busy times. He's not perfect, but he's perfect for me," she wrote. However, when Father's Day 2025 rolled around, she only shared an Instagram post appreciating Bryon for putting his dislike for horse riding aside for her sake and "to create memories for our grandkids." Based on their past social media activity, it seems that the Noems know that the key to a successful relationship is all about appreciation. So, it's quite strange that they would be inconsistent with their shout-outs in a year where they were facing divorce rumors.

Before Kristi Noem began her testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security in December 2025, she took a moment to appreciate Bryon Noem and their children for attending the hearing to support her (via CBS News). However, the DHS secretary's husband's tired appearance at the hearing made it seem like he didn't actually want to be there and had only been dragged out of his lowkey life to do some damage control. Bryon's exhaustion likely grew from bad to worse when he witnessed Kristi getting heckled by protestors twice in her opening remarks alone. 

Unfortunately for Bryon, that scene may have been like watching his Instagram comments play out in real time. Ever since the Kristi took on the role of DHS secretary, Bryon's Instagram comments section has been filled with people pointing out some of her most controversial moves. While some have left hate comments, others have asked the insurance company owner why he continues to stand by his wife's side. Dealing with a slew of negative comments on essentially a daily basis would have naturally taken a toll on Bryon. 

Another possible stressor in Bryon's life could be the fact that he has to tend to their ranch, household, and children without much help from Kristi. It's worth noting that although Bryon has been active on Instagram since his wife was sworn in to office in 2025, his bio still reads, "First Gentleman of South Dakota" and features Kristi's inactive Instagram handle from her days as governor. So, it seems that he may not have signed up for this life after all.