If you spent any time watching Discovery Channel back in the early 2010s, you definitely remember the crew at Red Jacket Firearms. The show was Sons of Guns, and at the center of the shop's family dynamic were Kris Ford and Stephanie Hayden. Their 2011 wedding in Las Vegas wasn't just a personal milestone; it was a major plot point for a reality TV series that, at its peak, was pulling in millions of viewers.
But then, the world stopped watching for the right reasons. After a series of explosive legal scandals and the total collapse of the show, fans were left wondering: is Kris Ford still married to Stephanie Hayden?
The short answer is that they have kept their private lives incredibly guarded since the fallout. However, tracing the timeline of their arrests and their public statements gives us a pretty clear picture of where they stand today.
The Reality TV Dream That Turned Into a Nightmare
To understand the status of their marriage, you have to look at the sheer chaos that ended their public careers. In 2014, the show was abruptly canceled. Why? Because the patriarch of the family, Will Hayden, was arrested on horrific charges of child molestation and rape. He eventually received multiple life sentences and is currently serving time in the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
This wasn't just a professional blow for Kris and Stephanie; it was a total destruction of their family unit. Stephanie, specifically, had to navigate the trauma of discovering the truth about her father while also facing her own legal troubles.
Legal Troubles and Arrests
In late 2014, both Kris and Stephanie found themselves in handcuffs. Kris Ford was arrested on charges of cruelty to a juvenile, involving a child from Stephanie's previous relationship. Stephanie was also arrested, charged with being a principal to simple battery.
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These legal battles effectively scrubbed them from the limelight. While they were once staples of reality TV, they basically became "ghosts" of the industry. Honestly, it’s one of the swiftest disappearances from the public eye in cable history.
So, Are They Still Together?
Since the dust settled on their 2014 and 2015 legal issues, neither Kris nor Stephanie has made a major public announcement regarding a divorce. For years, they continued to use the "Ford" name together in various small-scale business ventures and social media sightings.
However, life after Sons of Guns hasn't been a straight line. There have been several indicators about their current status:
- The Name Game: Stephanie has largely reverted to identifying as Stephanie Hayden in many professional contexts, though "Stephanie Hayden-Ford" still appears on older legal documents and some social media archives.
- The Business Shift: Red Jacket Firearms is a ghost of its former self. Kris and Stephanie tried to launch "Ford Firearms" shortly after the show’s cancellation, but that venture struggled to gain the same traction, likely due to the heavy stigma attached to the family name.
- Social Media Silence: Unlike many reality stars who pivot to Instagram influencing, Kris and Stephanie went dark. Most of their "current" updates are actually years old. This makes it tough to say with 100% certainty if they are living under the same roof in 2026, but there is no public record of a finalized divorce filing in the Louisiana parishes where they resided.
Basically, they've chosen a life of relative obscurity. After your father is sentenced to life in prison and you've faced child-related charges yourself, "going dark" is usually the only way to find any semblance of a normal life.
What Kris and Stephanie Are Doing Now
Kris Ford has stayed largely out of the firearms industry. There were rumors of him working in construction and general labor—a far cry from the high-end custom builds seen on Discovery. He’s kept his head down, which is probably wise.
Stephanie has focused heavily on her own recovery and advocating for victims of abuse. In 2014, she went on Dr. Phil to speak out about her father, Will Hayden. It was a raw, incredibly difficult interview where she admitted that she initially didn't believe the allegations against him. That interview was a turning point. It showed a woman trying to untangle herself from a legacy of trauma.
The Impact of the Red Jacket Legacy
It’s hard to overstate how much the Red Jacket brand was destroyed. When people ask if the couple is still married, they're often really asking: Did they survive the scandal?
The brand "Red Jacket" was legally separated from Will Hayden after his arrest, but the damage was done. The shop eventually shuttered its main operations. For Kris and Stephanie, the marriage wasn't just a romantic union; it was a business partnership. When the business died, the foundation of their public life died with it.
The Final Verdict
As of 2026, there is no official public record of a divorce between Kris Ford and Stephanie Hayden. While they are no longer the "power couple" of the tactical world, they appear to have stayed together through the legal fires that burned down their careers.
However, "staying together" in this context looks different than it did on TV. There are no cameras, no red carpets, and very little social media activity. They are living a private life in Louisiana, far away from the "live fire" demonstrations that made them famous.
If you're looking for a takeaway from the Sons of Guns saga, it's a reminder of how quickly reality TV fame can evaporate when real-world consequences kick in. Kris and Stephanie are likely still married, but the life they once lived is gone for good.
Next Steps for Fans and Researchers:
- Check Local Records: If you are looking for specific legal filings, the Baton Rouge and Livingston Parish clerk of court websites are the only places where a formal separation would be documented.
- Avoid "Fan" Pages: Most Facebook pages dedicated to the show are either defunct or run by people with no current connection to the family.
- Focus on the Advocacy: If you want to see the most recent public-facing work from Stephanie, her interviews regarding trauma and recovery remain the most accurate reflections of her current mindset.
The story of Kris and Stephanie isn't a "where are they now" fluff piece; it's a complex look at a family trying to move past a very dark history.