Who Is Kamala Harris' Stepson Cole Emhoff?

Beginning in 2021, Kamala Harris was known to the world as the vice president of the United States. Prior to that, she was recognized as Senator Harris. By July 2024, she has become known as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, poised to potentially make history as the first female president of the United States. But to her stepson, Cole Emhoff, the woman publicly addressed as Madame Vice President is the same woman he affectionally refers to as "Momala," a moniker he and his sister Ella Emhoff bestowed on Harris in lieu of "stepmom." Harris told People, "It's the name the kids gave me, and I wear it proudly." 

Named after musician John Coltrane, Cole is the oldest of two children born to entertainment lawyer Doug Emhoff and his former wife, Kerstin. Cole and Ella spoke candidly with The New York Times about their parents' divorce and their blended family, saying, "It was hard at first, but I always think, like, I'm so happy they divorced because I think it really brought us closer." Ella added, "It's a cool dynamic we all have."

While Ella makes headlines in her own right as a model who has quite the lavish life, the elder Emhoff tends to fly under the radar. Despite being part of a family that has been thrust into the national spotlight, he appears to lead a relatively normal life.

For children of divorce, it can be hard when one or both parents start dating again. Meeting the new significant other is a situation that can be challenging to navigate. But that wasn't the case for Cole Emhoff. Although he admitted to Glamour in a Zoom interview, that he was "a little blindsided" when his father, Doug Emhoff, announced that he was seeing someone special, it had nothing to do with the fact that the "someone" was, at the time, the attorney general of California. His shock came from the fact that his father was not usually chatty about his romantic life.

After meeting Kamala Harris at a family dinner at a local favorite restaurant, Cole, just a senior in high school at the time, felt it was "love at first sight" for everyone. "I realized like, Oh, my God, Doug has met someone who is completely unique and totally special," he told Glamour. The feeling was mutual. In an essay for Elle, Harris wrote, "Cole and Ella could not have been more welcoming. They are brilliant, talented, funny kids who have grown to be remarkable adults."

When Harris officially became part of the family in 2014, their bond grew, but there were the normal parenting moments, too. When speaking with The New York Times, Cole recalled a tweet that featured Harris looking stern at the Kavanaugh hearing. "Someone tweeted, like, 'I'd hate to have to look at that face and explain why I'm late for curfew,'" he described. "And I was thinking, 'I've literally had to do that.'" 

With a father in entertainment law and a mom who is a successful film producer, it's no surprise that Cole Emhoff took a similar career path. Emhoff was bitten by the showbiz bug, too, according to his LinkedIn profile, which was verified by People. After graduating from what he described to The New York Times as the "outdoorsy crunchy" Colorado College in 2017 with a degree in psychology, he went to work in production for Plan B Entertainment, the company that boasts Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston as co-founders, and is responsible for such Oscar-winning films as "The Departed," and "12 Years a Slave." 

Considering how close Cole is to his dad, it's easy to see how he may have been influenced by his father's career. However, seeing the senior Emhoff in his new role as second gentleman has taken some adjusting. "It's weird to turn on CNN and see my dad," he told The New York Times. "I'm like, 'Wait, you don't belong there! But I guess you do?' It feels completely unprecedented for us because we haven't really been around politics our entire life. We're still kind of getting used to it."

Even though it's been an adjustment, Cole is clearly proud of the way his father has adapted. "I think Doug is a bit of a chameleon, and that's why everyone loves him," he added. 

In October 2023, Cole Emhoff wed his longtime girlfriend Greenley Littlejohn in a private ceremony at The Vibiana in Los Angeles surrounded by family, friends, and a few secret service members because, well, Kamala Harris was there. Not only was the vice president serving as Momala of the groom, she was officiating the ceremony. She told People, "It was so wonderful that the kids asked me to do it." She added, "For us, we think of marriage as being not just between these two people, but the coming together of families. So it was very much with that spirit that we all participated." 

Harris continued, saying, "I gave them a piece of advice, which is that at the end of every day, find some way to check in, no matter how tired you are or how many miles apart you may be, even if it's just at the end of the day, and say 'I love you.'" It's advice that the happy couple, who reside in L.A., seemed to already have down pat, if their social media feeds are any indication. Both have shared photos filled with canoodling and sweet sentiments about each other. In one pre-wedding Instagram post, Littlejohn shared a photo of the couple kissing at one of their wedding showers and expressed her gratitude for all the love she felt from those in attendance.

Promoting Kamala Harris from Momala to Grandmomala may not be the first thing on the minds of Cole Emhoff and his wife Greenley Littlejohn, considering they only just got married in October 2023. In the meantime, however, it seems that the couple has been getting plenty of practice while parenting their fur babies. Two cats, Sugar and Butter, factor heavily in Littlejohn's Instagram feed, even earning their own Highlights reel. From photos, it appears that these are two purrfectly spoiled pets.

When they aren't cuddling with kitties, the couple appears to enjoy traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. And while we know you can't believe everything you see on the 'gram, by all appearances, theirs seems to be a happy marriage. Perhaps they've taken a cue from the vice president and second gentleman, both of whom Emhoff said are as in love today as they were when they married. In an interview with Glamour, he said, "People don't see how dorky and loving they are together. It's very embarrassing." However, he was quick to add, "But it's great. It's good to see — two people so in love and supportive." 

Stepmothers often get a bad rep thanks to fairy tales casting them as the evil villains, but nothing could be further from the truth in the Harris-Emhoff household. In fact, this is one blended family that has merged so seamlessly you can't see the cracks. Everyone supports one another, and everyone has a role — even at Sunday night dinners where Cole Emhoff is usually in charge of table setting and music selection. Those family dinners, although they may not happen with as much frequency these days, played an integral part in shaping Emhoff's life.

In an interview with Glamour, Emhoff recalled, "We would just have these real conversations at dinner, almost Socratic, where we would all bounce off each other." He also noted that he had to warn any friends or dinner dates that this would be no ordinary meal, and they better bring their A game. "I remember the first time I brought my girlfriend over, Kamala's like, 'Can you make a Caesar dressing?' She was like, 'Uh.'"

All joking aside, Emhoff has frequently and publicly expressed his love and admiration of the woman he calls Momala and credits her "grilling" for keeping him from becoming complacent. "Not many people in this family are passive in any way, and I think that's kind of what drives everyone," he told Glamour. "Everyone just cares and wants to get things done, and actually work."