Matthew Bevin, the former governor of Kentucky, was taken into custody on Thursday after defying court orders related to a child support legal battle, according to officials.
Mr. Bevin, a Republican who served as governor from 2015 to 2019, was apprehended while working on a film set, following a judge’s issuance of an arrest warrant.
Judge Angela J. Johnson of Jefferson County Family Court had directed Mr. Bevin to submit financial documents disclosing his income and assets, a necessary step to finalize child support payments to his son, Jonah Bevin.
However, Mr. Bevin, 59, has consistently refused to file the required paperwork, according to John Helmers Jr., an attorney representing Jonah Bevin, who spoke on Friday.
“There is profound sadness in that Jonah must watch his father choose jail over fulfilling his obligations to support his son,” Mr. Helmers and co-counsel Melina Hettiaratchi stated in a news release. “Jonah did not seek this public conflict.”
Attempts to reach Mr. Bevin’s legal representative, who had been representing him as recently as March, were unsuccessful. It remained unclear on Friday whether Mr. Bevin had secured alternative legal counsel.
As of Friday afternoon, Mr. Bevin was being held at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, based on the department’s official records.
Mr. Helmers noted that a court appearance date for Mr. Bevin had not yet been established.
The ongoing child support dispute originated from a 2023 divorce filing involving Mr. Bevin and his former spouse, Glenna Bevin.
Jonah Bevin entered the legal proceedings to seek child support, claiming he had been mistreated.
The couple adopted Jonah, now 19, from Ethiopia when he was five years old.
Judge Johnson ordered Mr. Bevin last year to provide detailed financial disclosures to determine the appropriate child support amount, Mr. Helmers confirmed.
Although the former governor initially submitted some documents, they were heavily redacted, leading Judge Johnson to demand that Mr. Bevin refile his financial disclosures, according to Mr. Helmers.
Mr. Bevin failed to comply.
This year, Judge Johnson held Mr. Bevin in contempt of court due to his continued failure to produce the documents, Mr. Helmers explained.
In June, Judge Johnson issued a second contempt ruling, which included an arrest warrant, a $500 fine, and a 60-day jail sentence, Mr. Helmers reported.
“These are routine financial documents that are ordered by everyone to file in divorce proceedings,” Mr. Helmers commented, noting that “it’s highly unorthodox for people not to comply with routine court orders.”
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office announced in a Friday news release that it received a call around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, reporting that Mr. Bevin was participating in a film production in Kentucky.
Deputies responded to the film set and took Mr. Bevin into custody “without any issues,” according to the sheriff’s office statement.
On Thursday, Great American Family, a cable network known for family-oriented programming, was filming its latest Christmas movie, “The Greatest Christmas Gift,” in Paris, Kentucky, as reported by The Lexington Herald-Leader.
Mr. Bevin was serving as an extra in the production, the newspaper confirmed.
A spokesperson for the network stated on Friday that they had no prior knowledge of Mr. Bevin’s arrest.
Sheelagh McNeill contributed research.
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