Sexual intercourse

A measure in the North Carolina General Assembly, Senate Bill 626, would cut the state's required separation period for an absolute divorce from one year to six months. At least one spouse would still need to have lived in North Carolina for six months. The six-month wait could be waived entirely if both spouses agree, the divorce is uncontested, and no minor children are involved.

The bill also allows domestic violence victims to bypass the separation period if their spouse was the abuser, though applicants must cite the abuse and submit at least two forms of supporting evidence, a requirement some advocates say could create unnecessary hurdles. Other changes address cohabitation during separation, clarifying that living together for financial reasons or isolated instances of sex would not restart the separation clock. The legislation would also eliminate North Carolina's common-law claims for alienation of affection and criminal conversation, torts allowing lawsuits against third parties linked to a marriage's breakdown. Changes would not affect cases already pending. The bill was filed in March 2025 and still requires passage by the General Assembly.

St. Paul, Minn., Police Chief Axel Henry has filed a 73-page lawsuit in Ramsey County District Court against Mayor Kaohly Her and the city, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation and unprofessional conduct. The complaint claims Her repeatedly touched Henry's thigh, made sexual innuendos including calling herself a "MILF," surprised him at a golf simulator during his vacation, and told him at a bar meeting that he needed to be her "friend" or "colleague" or "go" — which he understood as a demand to resign. It also alleges she hung sexualized altered images of Henry and other officers in his office, made orgasm-like sounds at the department gym, and referenced a separate incident where she suggested she'd falsely claim a city official groped her. Henry further claims Her hired a PR firm to discredit him and retaliated in violation of the Minnesota Whistleblower Act. He seeks a jury trial and damages exceeding $50,000 across six counts.

An independent investigation found no legal violations but concluded Her engaged in offensive and inappropriate behavior, including creating and sharing offensive material, prompting two apologies and a coaching recommendation. Only a two-page summary, prepared by an office Her oversees, has been released; the full report remains undisclosed, and Henry says he was never given a complete copy. City council members Molly Coleman and Saura Jost have publicly called for the full report's release, with Coleman calling the allegations "deeply troubling" and Jost citing eroded public confidence. The mayor's office says it will follow the report's recommendations but won't comment further on active litigation. Her, elected last year as St. Paul's first female mayor, previously shifted her security detail to the county sheriff's office, citing threats.