Rep. Madison Cawthorn getting divorced after less than a year of marriage

"Together, we realized that balance was not attainable, and that we had irreconcilable differences between us"

Published December 22, 2021 8:35PM (EST)

GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn (Getty Images)
GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn (Getty Images)

Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., is getting divorced after just eight months of marriage.

The Congressman made the announcement on Twitter Wednesday evening, writing in a statement that he and his wife, Cristina Cawthorn, "realized that balance was not attainable, and that we had irreconcilable differences between us."

Rep. Cawthorn, 26, was one of the youngest legislators ever elected when he won his race last year. He and his wife tied the knot in April, with the first-term lawmaker saying at the time that it was the "greatest honor, privilege and adventure" of his life.


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But the life of a Congressman was apparently much more difficult than the pair expected.

"When my wife Christina and I were engaged, I was not a member of Congress," Cawthorn said in the statement Wednesday. "I felt called to serve and we both agreed that I should run. Our victory was unprecedented. But overnight, our lives changed."

"That change has been both hectic and difficult. It's neither the pace nor the lifestyle we had planned for."

Rep. Cawthorn has a long history of advocating for strict gender norms and traditional family structures — and his divorce announcement comes just days after Rep. Cawthorn advised a conference of young conservatives to drop out of school and marry young. 

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By Brett Bachman

Brett Bachman was the Nights/Weekend Editor at Salon.

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