Martha Dianne Jones Bentley (born 1944) was the First Lady of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

from 2011 until 2015. Bentley was married to then-

Governor of Alabama A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

Robert J. Bentley Robert Julian Bentley (born February 3, 1943) is an American former politician and physician who served as the 53rd governor of Alabama from 2011 until 2017 upon his resignation following his arrest after a sex scandal involving a political aide ...

until their divorce in September 2015, ending their 50-year marriage. Bentley filed for divorce in August 2015 due to her husband's infidelity. Following their divorce, the scandal led to Governor Bentley's resignation in April 2017. Born in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

, Bentley attended the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...

pursuing a degree in bacteriology. She met Bentley there, and the two were married on July 24, 1965.

First Lady of Alabama

Bentley became the First Lady of Alabama in 2011, and served in that role until the finalization of the divorce between herself and Robert Bentley on September 29, 2015.

References

1944 births Living people People from Montgomery, Alabama University of Alabama alumni First ladies and gentlemen of Alabama Alabama Republicans {{Alabama-politician-stub