The wife of a former body guard to the Nashville mayor filed for divorce after she discovered his nearly two-year affair with the lawmaker.
Penny Forrest, the wife of Sgt. Rob Forrest, filed for divorce on Friday after discovering the affair between her husband and Nashville Mayor Megan Barry.
Rob Forrest submitted retirement papers on January 17 and stepped down on January 31, the same day Barry admitted to the almost two-year affair.
He was the head of the police force in Nashville, Tennessee, for 31 years and served for three mayors, including Barry.
Surveillance footage revealed earlier this week showed that Forrest and Barry would meet in the early morning hours at the city cemetery during their love affair.
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry (left) admitted on January 31 that she had a nearly two-year affair with Sgt. Rob Forrest (right). She said the affair started in the spring of 2016
Forrest reportedly attended multiple out-of-town trips with Barry starting in June 2016. Barry claims all of those trips were business related
Penny Forrest filed for divorce from her husband on Friday after the affair was revealed
Footage shows Barry’s white SUV entering the graveyard, usually after 7am, on several occasions during their two-year affair, before heading to the back of the site – sometimes re-emerging as little as 12 minutes later.
The reason for the taxpayer-funded trips remains a mystery but the mayor’s spokesperson, Sean Braisted, told NewsChannel5, which uncovered the footage, that Barry ‘finds it to be a peaceful place to start her day’.
‘Sometimes she would go for a walk, other times she would sit in the car and either reflect, make calls, catch up on emails, or report issues with vandalism in the cemetery,’ he added.
Penny filed for divorce on Friday at the Davidson County Circuit Court in Nashville, Tennessee.
Robert Forrest’s lawyer, David Louis Raybin, responded to the divorce filing in an emailed statement to the Tennessean.
He said: ‘Mr. Forrest is aware he will shortly be served with divorce papers. He deeply regrets that his conduct will cost him his marriage.
‘Given the intensely personal nature of a divorce, Mr. Forrest asks for privacy for his family at this difficult time.’
Barry has continued with her duties as mayor since she revealed the affair
Forrest was ordered to hand over his city-issued phone to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. His wife wants to use the phone during her divorce because her and her lawyer believe it could help her case
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation subpoenaed Forrest’s city-issued cellphone in February to investigate the affair.
State investigators have found a nude photo and partially nude photo of a woman that they believe were taken with Forrest’s work cellphone.
Barry’s lawyer said his client turned in her personal cellphone during the investigation and believes she will be cleared of any ‘criminal wrongdoing’.
Barry told USA Today in Tennessee that it started in the spring of 2016. Forrest accompanied her on out-of-town trips beginning in June 2016.
The mayor claims all the trips were for business purposes.
A lawyer for Penny Forrest requested the contents of the cell phone after the it was done being investigated because it may contain ‘important information’ during the divorce proceedings.