Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, revealed on Saturday that he had an extramarital affair during his first marriage. Emhoff acknowledged that his actions caused difficulties in his marriage to his first wife, Kerstin Emhoff. The couple, who were married from 1992 to 2009, share two adult children, Cole and Ella, whom they co-parent with Vice President Harris.
The affair, which reportedly involved the children's nanny who was also a teacher at their school, led to the end of Emhoff's first marriage. The nanny, who became pregnant, did not keep the baby, and it remains unclear whether Emhoff has had any involvement in the child's life.
At the time of the affair, Emhoff was an entertainment lawyer, and his then-wife was a movie producer. The pregnant nanny had to leave her job at The Willows, an elite private elementary school in Culver City, California, where she had been teaching the Emhoff children.
Emhoff and Harris met in 2013 when Harris was serving as California's attorney general, and they tied the knot in 2014. Harris was aware of the affair before their marriage, and it was also disclosed to the Biden 2020 campaign during the vetting process for Harris as Biden's vice presidential pick.
In a statement, Kerstin Emhoff expressed that she and Doug decided to end their marriage for various reasons many years ago. She commended Doug for being a great father to their children and a supportive friend to her. The blended family that Doug, Kamala, and Kerstin have created together is described as warm and supportive.
Emhoff, now 59, frequently accompanies Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, on the campaign trail.
