"Family Was Blindsided": Kristi Noem On Husband's Cross-Dressing Photos

Former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief Kristi Noem is facing public scrutiny over reports that her husband, Bryon Noem, may have led a secret online life involving cross-dressing and communicating with women in a fetish community.

Kristi, removed from her role as DHS chief last month, has reacted, saying she was “devastated” by the revelations.

“The family was blindsided by this, and they asked for privacy and prayers at the time,” her representative told the New York Post.

Bryan was active in a so-called “bimbofication” community where performers undergo extreme breast enhancements to achieve exaggerated, doll-like proportions, according to another report. While exchanging messages, he reportedly praised the women's dramatic looks and openly expressed admiration for their heavily enhanced busts.

He shared photos of himself with some of the women. In one image, he is said to have worn pink hot-pants and a skin-tight, flesh-coloured outfit. He stuffed his chest with balloons to imitate comically oversized, uneven breasts, complete with fake nipples. Several photos reportedly show his face, including the one where he is making a kiss expression.

He is also alleged to have sent around $25,000 to women he met in the online community, according to the report. In exchanges with one model, he reportedly called her a “goddess,” wrote that she made him feel like “a girl,” and asked whether he should wear leggings.

One of the women claimed she accidentally dialled a man named “Jason” and heard a voicemail greeting identifying the number as belonging to Noem Insurance. When she searched online, she allegedly found images of Bryon and his wife, Kristi Noem. When confronted about the discovery, she said he told her he “didn't care.”

US President Donald Trump said he was unaware of the photos and expressed sympathy for the family.

“They confirmed it? Wow… I feel badly for the family if that's the case. I haven't seen anything. I don't know anything about it. That's too bad, but I just know nothing about it,” he said.

Questions about Kristi's association with political operative Corey Lewandowski, who has accompanied her to public events, have also surfaced. This came just weeks after she faced questioning over an alleged affair during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing while Bryon sat behind her.

The Noems have three children: daughters Kassidy, 31, and Kennedy, 29, and a son, Booker, 23. Both daughters have children of their own. Kristi now serves as a special envoy for the Shield of the Americas initiative.