Hometown Neighbors in South Dakota Refuse to Believe Pics of Kristi Noem’s Husband Are Real: ‘Must Be AI!’

(X/@KristiNoem)

Hometown neighbors of the Noems in the small farming town of Castlewood, South Dakota, refuse to believe that the alleged images of Bryon Noem dressed as a woman were even real when a New York Times journalist arrived to ask questions.

In a wild report published Tuesday, Daily Mail chief investigative reporter Josh Boswell and senior reporter Ben Ashford published a series of pictures they said show Bryon Noem, husband of former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, posing in provocative attire, including exaggerated prosthetics, while facing the camera.

The reporters cited interviews with several fetish models who alleged they had online interactions with Noem tied to “bimbofication,” a niche fetish involving the transformation of women into hyper-exaggerated, doll-like figures.

In a statement that followed, Noem said her family was “blindsided by the report and that she was “devastated” by the claims.

When Times journalist Shawn McCreesh landed in Castlewood late Tuesday, however, local residents who have known Bryon Noem for decades reacted with scepticism — bordering on refusal — when shown the pictures, first published by a British tabloid.

“Must be A.I.,” said Kevin Ruesink, a cattle rancher who grew up alongside him. “I grew up playing ball with Bryon. I’ve never known him to be part of stuff like that. I don’t believe that at all.”

The images, which quickly ricocheted across social media and into political discourse, have turned a private figure into an unexpected national flashpoint.

Back home, however, the tone is less ridicule than sympathy.

Locals told McCreesh that Bryon Noem was a quiet insurance salesman, a churchgoer, and a man largely removed from his wife’s political career even as her national profile soared. Many recall the couple as high school sweethearts, their relationship long preceding the glare of Washington.

“People know Bryon as the supportive husband who worked to maintain a normal family life as Kristi’s profile skyrocketed,” Brad Johnson, a local real estate appraiser and newspaper columnist, told The Times. “It shows the price of power and fame is very high. But, Kristi invited this type of coverage by her actions at the Department of Homeland Security.”

“I am sorry that Bryon is now the subject of so much attention himself, and for any embarrassment he’s experiencing,” said Nancy Turbak, a former Democratic state senator who works in the area. “He never asked for the public life in the first place, and I know him to be a kind and decent man. I wish he were not going through this.”

“Such a nice man,” one resident said, reportedly shaking his head. “It just tears me up.”

While in town, McCreesh did ask Bryon Noem for an interview. He texted in reply: “I will at some point. Today is not the day. I appreciate your heart.”

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