Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, gestured toward admitting to an extramarital affair with a teacher at his children’s school before divorcing Kerstin Emhoff — with whom he has a son and a daughter — in 2009.
The teacher became pregnant that same year but did not have the baby, the Daily Mail reported Saturday, and two sources close to the woman at the time of her relationship with Emhoff told CBS News that the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.
While the information is new to Americans, reporting suggests that the Biden campaign had been aware of Emhoff’s infidelity before selecting Harris as President Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020, while Harris herself knew about the affair before marrying Emhoff in 2014, according to the New York Times.
Both Emhoffs released statements vaguely addressing the affair — though not the pregnancy — on Saturday.
“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions,” the second gentleman wrote. “I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side.”
Kerstin Emhoff, in her statement, declined to say whether the affair was the immediate reason for the pair’s separation and referenced their current relationship; the two often refer to one another as friends.
“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.”
Harris has not commented on the reported affair, but Emhoff’s increased role in the campaign may force her to address the news at some point. The second gentleman has appeared at Harris events to speak about abortion, arguing it is not solely a women’s issue but one that affects families as a whole.