Vice President Kamala Harris' husband Doug Emhoff has acknowledged a 15-year-old affair that was reported by a Britsih tabloid, indicating it destroyed his first marriage.
Emhoff admitted to the extramarital relationship in a statement Saturday first reported by CNN after a story about the affair appeared in the Daily Mail.
"During my first marriage, [first wife] Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions," Mr. Emhoff said in the statement. "I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side."
The Daily Mail reported that the woman became pregnant, and "did not keep the child," a close friend told the Mail. The woman could not be reached for comment.
Emhoff did not address details of the affair with the woman, who was reportedly a teacher of his daughter.
Emhoff, an entertainment lawyer, was married at the time to film producer Kerstin Emhoff, with whom he had two children — Cole, now 29, and Ella, 25.
The two filed for divorce in 2009 after 16 years of marriage. Emhoff met Harris in 2013, and they married the following year. Emhoff reportedly told Harris of his affair.
Emhoff and his ex-wife have frequently referred to each other as friends, and have co-parented their two children with Harris.
Kerstin Emhoff also fiercely defended Harris after a past J.D. Vance interview resurfaced in which he referred to Harris as a "miserable" childless "cat lady."
"These are baseless attacks," she told the New York Times last month. "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," Emhoff added.
She also issued a statement Saturday about the end of her marriage to Emhoff, but did not refer to the affair.
"Doug and I decided to end our marriage for a variety of reasons, many years ago," she said.
"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 added.
