In Castlewood, South Dakota, residents expressed sympathy for Bryon Noem after tabloid photos suggesting plastic surgery surfaced. The Daily Mail published images depicting the husband of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with exaggerated features under his spandex shirt. Locals, who knew Bryon as a respected insurance salesman, struggled to reconcile the images with their perception of him. Castlewood residents described feeling sorry for Bryon, emphasizing his longstanding reputation as a kind, decent man thrust into unwanted public scrutiny. While the photos became a political punchline for Kristi Noem's critics, the prevailing local sentiment centered on pity for her husband caught in the fallout of her controversial tenure and personal scandals.