Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s marriage appears to be coming to an end, according to comments made by her mother in a new interview, following months of public controversy surrounding both Noem and her husband.

Corinne Arnold told the Daily Mail that her daughter and husband, Bryon Noem, are planning to divorce after more than three decades of marriage.

“It has been difficult, but we knew this was coming, that they were going to get divorced,” Arnold said.

According to Arnold, Kristi Noem shared the decision with her during a family birthday celebration for one of the couple’s grandchildren.

“She doesn’t tell me what she thinks. Finally, I said: ‘What’s the deal? Are you going to get together again?’ And she said: ‘No. No. We’re going to get a divorce,’” Arnold recalled. “And I said: ‘Who is your lawyer?’ And she said it was somebody from Sioux Falls.”

As of now, no divorce filing has been publicly reported, and Noem herself has not publicly confirmed the split.

The reported separation comes months after photos surfaced that allegedly showed Bryon Noem wearing exaggerated prosthetic breasts while interacting with performers associated with the online “bimbofication” fetish community. Reports claimed he had communicated with women involved in that scene, though Bryon Noem has not publicly addressed the allegations.

The marriage has also been the subject of speculation because of longstanding rumors about Kristi Noem’s relationship with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. Those rumors intensified earlier this year after Noem declined to directly answer a question during a congressional hearing about whether she had ever had “sexual relations” with Lewandowski.

Her mother strongly denied those claims.

“Kristi would never do that,” Arnold said. “That’s not how I brought my kids up. And Corey’s got his own wonderful family and little kids.”

The controversy unfolded during a turbulent period for Noem’s political career. She was dismissed from her role as Secretary of Homeland Security in March, with reports citing frustration within the Trump administration over her performance during a congressional hearing and other internal disagreements. Those reports have not been publicly confirmed by President Donald Trump.

Kristi and Bryon Noem have been married for 34 years and raised three children together. Throughout much of Noem’s political career—including her time as South Dakota’s governor—Bryon remained largely out of the spotlight while supporting his wife’s public service.

While the couple has not spoken publicly about the reported divorce, Arnold’s comments suggest the family has been preparing for the separation for some time.