Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff has admitted that he had an affair during his marriage to his first wife Kerstin.
“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions. I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side,” Emhoff said in a statement provided exclusively to CNN.
It came after the Daily Mail reported that Emhoff had a relationship with one of his daughter Ella’s teachers, which resulted in the end of his marriage.
Emhoff had told Harris about the affair before they were married.
The affair was also known by President Joe Biden four years ago. He was informed when he was vetting Harris to be his vice president, CNN reported.
In a statement provided to the Daily Beast, Kerstin Emhoff provided support to her ex-husband.
“Doug and I decided to end our marriage for a variety of reasons, many years ago. He is a great father to our kids, continues to be a great friend to me and I am really proud of the warm and supportive blended family Doug, Kamala, and I have built together,” she said.
The second gentleman’s statement to CNN raised more questions than answers. He didn’t acknowledge whether the woman became pregnant as the result of a relationship, as the Daily Mail reported. Among the questions raised is whether the woman gave birth and, if so, whether Emhoff has provided financially for the child and whether there was a nondisclosure agreement with the woman.
Emhoff was married to his first wife, Kerstin, from 1992 until 2009 with the couple sharing two children, 29-year-old Cole and 25-year-old Ella. He married Harris in 2014.
Kerstin Emhoff put out a statement when J.D. Vance attacked Harris as “childless” saying that the vice president has been an active stepmother to Cole and Ella since they were 19 and 15.
“These are baseless attacks. For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I,” she said. “She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.”
Harris is currently at the couple’s home at the Naval Observatory in Washington D.C. where she is reportedly vetting and interviewing candidates to be her running mate, which she is expected to announce by Tuesday.
The Harris campaign this week started using pictures of a young and attractive Emhoff on merchandise in its fundraising efforts.