Judge denies bond for ex-Gov. Matt Bevin, orders him to serve jail time
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has been ordered to serve 60 days in jail.
Bevin, 59, was arrested for contempt on Thursday in connection with an ongoing child support case involving his estranged wife and son.
A warrant for his arrest was issued back in June.
Someone called 911 this week and pointed police to him being at a Christmas movie shoot in Bourbon County.
He was arrested there and brought to Louisville’s jail.
What happened in court
Bevin appeared smiling in court in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit.
He once again face Family Court Judge Angela Johnson, who has been ordering him to hand over financial documents in connection to the case involving his adopted son Jonah.
In court Friday, attorneys for Bevin said the contempt order was unlawful because Bevin did not have the ability to do what the judge was asking him to do.
They asked the judge to change it to criminal contempt, which provides stronger constitutional protections.
Attorneys for Jonah Bevin argued that Matt Bevin had plenty of opportunities to avoid his arrest and repeatedly failed to produce the court-ordered documents.
Johnson blasted Bevin, saying he had continued to demonstrate an intentional disregard for court orders.
“(Bevin) has over and over again demonstrated a complete disregard and utter disrespect for this court…I will not allow you to taint the integrity of this court or any court with that kind of behavior,” Johnson said.
Johnson ordered Bevin to serve 60 days in jail for contempt of court, but said after 30 days, she could be open to “some sort of relief.”
Bevin’s attorneys did not comment after the proceeding.
Jonah Bevin attended the meeting via Zoom. Matt’s estranged wife Glenna was also in attendance.
Movie set arrest
Matt Bevin was arrested on the set of a movie being filmed in Paris, Ky. called “The Greatest Christmas Gift.”
It’s a movie made by Great American Media, similar to the Hallmark channel.
Bevin was arrested while acting as an extra during a wedding scene.
A witness told WLKY the sheriff rolled up looking for him. They let him use the restroom then took him into custody. Filming resumed after that.
The sheriff said there were no issues and Bevin was “very cooperative.”
More on the family court case
It all started with Matt and Glenna’s divorce in 2023.
The couple has nine surviving children, four adopted.
Jonah filed an EPO against his parents in March 2025, alleging years of physical and emotional abuse.
Matt Bevin
Matt Bevin and Jonah Bevin
He also accused them of abandoning him at a Jamaican facility for troubled teens, which was later closed due to abuse allegations. He says the Bevins failed to plan for his return to America.
The Bevins have forcefully denied Jonah’s claims. | Read more here.
Jonah eventually joined his parents’ divorce proceedings, seeking back pay for child support. When he accused Matt Bevin of hiding funds owed to him, the court called for financial disclosures.
In March 2026, the case escalated when Matt Bevin declined to turn over records.
He tried to get Judge Johnson removed from the case, but she refused to recuse herself.
Matt Bevin repeatedly skipped hearings he was ordered to attend in person, and multiple arrest warrants were issued with the option to pay a fine to avoid jail.
The last time he missed a deadline—June 5—to provide the required records, a new warrant was issued, this time without the option to pay in lieu of an arrest.
His official charge is contempt of court libel/slander resistance to order.