Sinema Admits to Affair in Court Filing
Former Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema has publicly acknowledged her affair with a former bodyguard, Matthew Ummell, during her time in office and while both were still married. This revelation emerged in a recent court filing in North Carolina, aimed at dismissing a lawsuit from Ummell’s estranged wife, who has described Sinema as a “family destroyer.”
Sinema, who was in the U.S. Senate from 2019 until 2025, recognized her relationship with Ummell in her motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which accuses her of “deliberate and malicious interference” in the Ummell marriage. The lawsuit is seeking $25,000 in damages due to what they consider Sinema’s “deliberate and wrongful” actions.
Interestingly, neither the motion to dismiss nor Sinema’s accompanying affidavit challenge the characterization of her relationship with Ummell, which has been portrayed as “romantic and intimate.” Instead, the legal argument suggests that the suit should be thrown out because the alleged interactions occurred entirely outside North Carolina’s jurisdiction.
The recent documents shed light on the nature of Sinema and Ummell’s extramarital relationship, which reportedly began in Sonoma, California, in May 2024. The affair reportedly involved extensive communications through phone calls and messages, as well as various romantic encounters across the country.
In one message to Ummell, Sinema expressed longing, saying, “Many times in my sleep I wake up and reach for your arms to hold me.” This particular exchange took place in June 2024, from Scottsdale to Kansas. The affair apparently drew attention when Ummell’s estranged wife directly confronted Sinema in response to a message, questioning whether she was involved with her husband.
North Carolina is one of the few states that still recognizes “alienation of affection” lawsuits, a legal avenue available in only six states. To win such a lawsuit, a plaintiff must prove three critical elements: that there was a genuine, loving relationship prior to the involvement of a third party, that this love was significantly harmed, and that the defendant was responsible for this deterioration.
Fox News Digital has attempted to reach out to Sinema for her comments on the matter.
