Judge bars Matt Bevin from wife’s home amid divorce case and harassment allegation

A judge in former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s divorce case has barred him from entering the home of his wife Glenna, who accused him of “aggressive and unsettling” conduct in an affidavit.

Glenna Bevin filed a motion last week to limit the former governor’s access to their Anchorage residence and property without explicit, written permission and order that the two only communicate through a parenting smartphone application.

In her affidavit filed with the motion, Glenna Bevin alleged her husband regularly enters and remains in her home for hours in spite of her requests that he leave, which is “disruptive to the household” where their one minor child still resides. She also stated that he often refuses to leave after she goes to bed.

Glenna Bevin added that her husband often tries to engage her in conversation about their divorce case when he comes over, and when she tries to disengage, “he follows me from room to room and even into the bathroom or my bedroom, disrespecting my privacy; to me his conduct is aggressive and unsettling.”

Jefferson Circuit Judge Angela Johnson granted these motions Tuesday, giving Matt Bevin one week to retrieve any essential items he needs from the house, after which he will have to seek permission from his wife or the court before being allowed to reenter. Johnson also ordered that the two can only communicate through a parenting app.

Glenna Bevin filed for divorce last May, stating the marriage was "irretrievably broken" and that they had already been separated for more than a year. She lives in their Anchorage house with their one minor child and one adult child, while Matt Bevin primarily resides in another home the couple owns in the same city.

In a response last week to Glenna Bevin’s motion, Matt Bevin’s attorney stated that the former governor “vehemently denies” the allegations that he follows her around the house “and otherwise harasses her” regarding the divorce case and “is at a loss” as to why she wants to bar him from the house.

“Such an assertion is simply not true and is designed to embarrass and malign Matt,” wrote Jesse Mudd, his attorney.

In her order, Johnson noted that Matt Bevin did not want the divorce and “seems to be trying to keep the parties’ relationship and maintaining a ‘business as usual’ environment. However, the truth of the matter is that the parties are getting a divorce. Normalcy and the ‘business as usual’ environment are gone.”

Johnson also granted Glenna Bevin’s motion to allow her to receive half of the funds from the couple’s $1.5 million sale of their Cherokee Gardens home this year, to be used to purchase a new house for her and their children. The judge also ordered her current residence — which they intend to sell — be listed for sale within 60 days.

Glenna Bevin has also filed a motion to hold Matt Bevin in contempt for failing to produce documents requested by her in discovery, but Johnson remanded it, citing that the former governor’s hesitancy dealt with concern over having the parties’ confidential information exposed.

“Because of the parties’ well-known status, the Court agrees with the Respondent’s concerns and believes that a contempt motion is premature,” Johnson wrote.

Shortly after Johnson’s orders Tuesday, Matt Bevin’s attorney filed a motion to seal the case from public access and prohibit public dissemination of its documents.

“As the Court is aware, the parties to this case are the former Governor and First Lady of Kentucky, and as such, this divorce action has already garnered media attention and public discourse and will likely continue to do so,” Mudd wrote. “To that end, Matt seeks to protect the parties from the public dissemination of their finances, business interests and other personal information relating to their family.”

Bevin’s attorney did not immediately respond to a voicemail seeking reaction to the ruling. Mark Dobbins, the attorney for Glenna Bevin, had no comment.

Bevin, a Republican, was elected governor of Kentucky in 2015, serving one term in office. He was defeated by a narrow margin in his 2019 reelection race by current Gov. Andy Beshear, and flirted with running again for governor last year .