Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, admitted on Saturday that he had an affair during his first marriage, for which he has taken responsibility.
“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I faced challenges due to my actions. I have taken responsibility, and over the years, we have worked through these issues as a family and emerged stronger,” he stated, as reported by POLITICO.
The acknowledgment by the second gentleman, first revealed by CNN, followed a report by the Daily Mail that Emhoff was involved with one of his daughter’s teachers, leading to the end of his first marriage in 2009. Emhoff did not address the specific details of the Daily Mail report, some of which were not confirmed by POLITICO.
Prior to their marriage in 2014, Harris was aware of the affair, according to a source who spoke anonymously about the matter. This information was also known to those involved in the vetting process for vice president contenders during President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.
Emhoff’s two children with his first wife, Kerstin Emhoff, are now adults. Kerstin has spoken positively about Harris as a stepmother in recent years and has defended their relationship amidst criticism. She mentioned in a statement that their marriage ended many years ago for various reasons.
“He is a wonderful father to our children, remains a supportive friend to me, and I am proud of the close-knit blended family that Doug, Kamala, and I have created together,” Kerstin Emhoff expressed in a statement.
Harris, currently residing at the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, is in the final stages of selecting her vice president. The vetting process will be completed before the public announcement next week, including a rally scheduled for Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Emhoff has been actively supporting Harris on the campaign trail, even before she became the party’s nominee. His involvement has increased since Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
