Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and political operative Corey Lewandowski were spotted enjoying a leisurely outing together in Minnesota this week, footage shows, reigniting speculation about their relationship just months after Noem announced plans to end her 34-year marriage.
The pair was caught on camera Tuesday biking along the shores of Lake Minnetonka in Wayzata, Minnesota, before stopping for meals at two local establishments. Video obtained by TMZ showed them traveling to The Grocer’s Table, a market and cafe, where they sat at an outdoor table. They then pedaled to a nearby restaurant called CōV, where eyewitnesses reported they were “laughing and leaning toward one another” while seated outside.
Noem, 54, wore a flannel shirt and floppy hat in an apparent attempt to avoid recognition, while Lewandowski, 52, kept a low profile in sunglasses and a fitted T-shirt. An eyewitness said the pair appeared “all smiles and kept close throughout the outing.” At one point, Lewandowski appeared to notice someone filming them and quickly turned his head away from the camera.
The sighting comes amid mounting questions about the relationship between Noem and Lewandowski, whom she had brought on as an unpaid senior adviser during her tenure as DHS secretary. Both have repeatedly denied allegations of a romantic relationship. Noem previously dismissed speculation about Lewandowski as “tabloid garbage” when questioned about it under oath before congressional leaders in March.
The timing of the Minnesota outing is particularly notable given developments in Noem’s personal life. In July, the Daily Mail reported that Noem was divorcing her husband, Bryon Noem, after 34 years of marriage. The announcement came through her mother, Corinne Arnold, who revealed that Noem had decided to end the marriage during a late-spring family gathering.
The decision to divorce followed a March bombshell report that exposed allegations about Bryon Noem’s involvement in an online “bimbofication” fetish scene. According to accounts, he had exchanged hundreds of messages with adult performers and paid thousands of dollars while participating in the community. Images allegedly showed him wearing prosthetic breasts and women’s clothing while engaging in role-playing scenarios focused on exaggerated physical characteristics.
When the cross-dressing allegations first surfaced in March, Noem’s representatives said she was “devastated” and that the family was “blindsided” by the reports. However, sources later suggested the situation was widely known among Washington insiders, with officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the White House allegedly gossiping about Bryon Noem’s activities for months before the public disclosure.
Noem’s professional life has also been marked by turmoil. On March 5, President Trump fired her as Homeland Security secretary, making her the first Cabinet member to leave her post in his second term. The ouster came after a contentious congressional hearing in which she testified about a $220 million advertising campaign featuring her prominently, claiming Trump had personally approved the spending. Trump later denied authorizing the campaign.
Following her firing, Noem was reassigned to serve as Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a newly created State Department position. Lewandowski left the DHS around the same time, having served as an unpaid adviser to Noem. Their departures came amid investigations into whether Lewandowski had improperly influenced government contracting decisions during his tenure at the department.
The relationship between Noem and Lewandowski had long been the subject of Washington gossip and speculation. Sources close to Bryon Noem allegedly told tabloid journalists that the former insurance agent had acknowledged his wife’s alleged involvement with Lewandowski while speaking to online fetish models, reportedly saying there was nothing he could do about it.
Bryon Noem has not made public statements about the allegations surrounding him, though he indicated to a reporter that he would eventually speak out about the situation. He has since moved out of the family home in Castlewood, South Dakota, according to reports.
The Minnesota sighting marks the first time in months that Noem and Lewandowski have been photographed together in a public setting, despite their insistence that their relationship is strictly professional. Neither has commented on the latest outing or the speculation it has generated.