Second gentleman Doug Emhoff acknowledges affair contributed to breakup for first marriage

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Second gentleman Doug Emhoff acknowledged Saturday that he had an extramarital affair years ago that contributed to the breakup of his first marriage.

“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions," Emhoff said in a statement, first reported by CNN. "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 issued the statement after the Daily Mail reported on the matter.

The affair was known to the team that vetted Vice President Kamala Harris before President Joe Biden picked her to be his running mate in 2020, according to a person familiar with the events who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive situation. Harris knew about the affair before she married Emhoff, the person said.

Emhoff and Harris met on a blind date in 2013 and married the following year. It was her first marriage and his second. Harris’ stepchildren, Ella and Cole Emhoff, were teenagers when their father remarried.

Kerstin Emhoff has spoken positively of Harris as a “co-parent” of her daughter and son and as “loving, nurturing, fiercely protecting and always present.” She issued a statement supporting her ex-husband after he acknowledged 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.”

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This story was first published on Aug. 3, 2024. It was updated on Aug. 5, 2024, to correct a reference to Emhoff’s children. He and his first wife share a daughter and a son, not two daughters.