Former Kentucky Governor Arrested on the Film Set for an Upcoming Christian Holiday Movie

NEED TO KNOW

• Matt Bevin, the former governor of Kentucky, was arrested this week on the set of a religious Christmas film

• Bevin had an active bench warrant against him in Jefferson County, Ky., where he was found in contempt of court

• During his court appearance the day after his arrest, a judge ordered Bevin to spend 60 days in jail

Matt Bevin, former governor of Kentucky, was arrested for alleged contempt this week on the set of a Christian holiday film in Paris, Ky., where he was appearing as a "featured extra."

The former politician was working on the set on Thursday, Sept. 3, when the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office arrested him on an outstanding bench warrant and booked him in jail, Louisville Public Media reported.

Bevin, 59, had an active bench warrant against him in Jefferson County, Ky., where he was found in contempt of court after allegedly failing to produce required financial documents pertaining to his divorce and child support case.

Jessica Mohr, the owner of the horse farm where the movie was being filmed, told Louisville Public Media that the sheriff arrived on set looking for Bevin on Thursday.

"The sheriff showed up and was asking some people if they'd seen his picture, and a young man was like, 'I think that gentleman's inside,' " Mohr recalled. "And then there he was, and he was sitting there speaking to the lead male actor, and yeah, he was arrested."

Two arrest warrants were issued against Bevin this summer prior to his arrest on Thursday. He received the first warrant after he did not appear for a court hearing in May; Bevin claimed a "large boulder" had gone through his Maine vacation home, preventing him from appearing.

He paid a fine and the warrant was rescinded, but he was issued a warrant once more in June related to financial disclosures in the divorce and child support case, according to Louisville Public Media.

Bevin once again allegedly failed to appear in court on July 28. When he appeared in court on Friday, Sept. 4, after his arrest, he was denied bond and ordered by Judge Angela Johnson to spend 60 days in jail, local CBS affiliate WLKY reported.

The judge accused Bevin of disrespect, and declared that she would not let him "taint the integrity" of the court.

While Bevin was ordered 60 days of jail time, the judge said he could possibly be released after 30 days if he "demonstrates improvement."

According to Mohr, the cable TV company Great American Family had been filming The Greatest Christmas Gift of All on her property when Bevin was arrested.

"My understanding is that originally [law enforcement] knew where he was because he posted a picture of himself with the [lead] actor," Mohr told Louisville Public Media. "I'm pretty sure he deleted that picture."

Bevin shares nine children with his estranged wife, Glenna Bevin. The couple were subjected to an Emergency Protective Order, or EPO, from their son Jonah in March 2025. Jonah, who was adopted, alleged that he experienced years of physical and emotional abuse while in his parents' care, according to WLKY.

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The former governor's son is seeking child support from him and Glenna after accusing them of abandoning him at a facility for troubled youth in Jamaica, which was notorious for its mistreatment of teenagers and was eventually shut down while Jonah was there.

Jonah previously took the stand at a Kentucky child support hearing in July, where he was able to tell his side of the story as it related to his experience at the Atlantis Leadership Academy.

He also claimed in an interview with the Kentucky Lantern last year that he was "beaten every day" while at the facility and had been struggling to live on his own since returning to the States, where he said, "I have two pair of shoes, a toothbrush, my high school diploma and my passport. That's the only things I have."

Bevin, a Republican, served as governor of Kentucky from 2015 to 2019. After serving one term, he lost his reelection bid to Democrat Andy Beshear, who currently serves as governor.

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