Kerstin Emhoff, ex-wife of Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, has defended him after he admitted to having an affair during their marriage.
Emhoff, who is now married to Vice President Kamala Harris, responded on Saturday to claims that he had an extra-marital affair, first reported by the Daily Mail.
“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,” he said in statement to CNN.
He was married to film producer Kerstin from 1992 to 2008 and the pair have two children, Ella and Cole, who are now young adults. The Mail reported that the couple split after Kerstin discovered the affair. She did not respond to that allegation in her statement.
“Doug and I decided to end our marriage for a variety of reasons, many years ago,” she told the Washington Post. “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.”
The affair allegedly happened over 15 years ago with a former teacher at a private school where both Emhoff children attended and who also worked as a nanny for the family, the Daily Mail first reported. A source told the outlet that she became pregnant by Emhoff but did not keep the child. The Independent is not naming the woman but has contacted her for comment on the claims.
The tryst ended years before Emhoff and Harris began dating, CNN reported, and Emhoff had told the vice president about the affair long before they got married. The affair had come to light during the vice presidential vetting process in 2020, the outlet added.
The revelation comes weeks before the Democratic National Convention and one day after Harris secured enough delegate votes to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination.
This isn’t the first time Kerstin Emhoff has come out in support of her ex-husband and Harris.
After a clip resurfaced of Trump’s running mate JD Vance calling Harris a “childless cat lady”, Kerstin came to the vice president’s defense.
She told CNN: “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 is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.”
