Shady Details About Kamala Harris' Husband Doug Emhoff

Politics is a dirty game, and it was to be expected that critics would try their best to dig up as much dirt as possible on former vice president Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, when she became the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee. Soon, Harris was accused of plagiarizing passages from her book, "Smart on Crime," which hit shelves back in 2009. Fox News dubbed the former attorney as having failed at her job as a prosecutor, claiming she insufficiently handled hundreds of drug-related cases. Harris' scandals didn't come close to that of Donald Trump's multiple controversies, but unfortunately, there was quite some dirt to be found on her husband. His past alleged misdeeds soon made headlines, leaving many wondering whether his image as an avid supporter of women was all smoke and mirrors.

In a scathing piece published by the Daily Mail, unnamed sources claimed that Emhoff was still ogling other women while he was engaged to Harris. So much so that he ended up replacing his legal secretary with a part-time model who was, according to reports, not qualified for the job. "[She was hired] because she was young, attractive and friendly with the powerful men in the office," read a 2019 lawsuit, which wasn't filed against Emhoff but one of his colleagues at the firm, Venable.

A source who claims to have worked with Emhoff at Venable also said the former second gentleman was a big flirt at the office, and women who didn't indulge him ended up regretting it. "If you weren't flirty back or didn't respond positively then you were on his s*** list," the anonymous ex-female staffer told the Daily Mail. "You wouldn't get to work on the cases you wanted to work on," she later added.

Doug Emhoff has been accused of being a textbook misogynist during his tenure at Venable. Unnamed sources told the Daily Mail that the former second gentleman was not at all gentlemanlike while he ran the firm. On the contrary, Emhoff has been accused of going to extremes to exert power over female employees. One source claimed he boasted to his male colleagues about putting a female colleague "in her place" after she entered his office uninvited to ask him a question. "She tapped on the door, he didn't answer, so she slightly opened the door and stuck her head in," an ex-staffer from Venable divulged to the Daily Mail. "He said, 'Get the f*** out of my office.'"

Aside from allegedly treating female employees disrespectfully, Emhoff also reportedly hosted a weekly cocktail hour for his male colleagues at the office — no women were allowed. Female colleagues were, sources claimed, accessories Emhoff would employ when he attended formal events. "He would favor certain people," the source professed. "Usually it was young, pretty girls. And he would prefer for them to ride with him." One of Venable's former higher-ups told the Daily Mail that Emhoff's behavior was an open secret at the firm.

As allegations of his questionable past behavior made headlines ahead of the 2024 presidential election, many were left wondering whether the second gentleman — who was dubbed Kamala Harris' "secret weapon" by many outlets — might, in fact, end up becoming her downfall. Rachel Palermo, Harris' deputy communications director, told The Hill that Emhoff was "a significant asset to the campaign." But allegations of his past treatment of women quickly cast doubt in the mind's of some voters. 

One of the most damaging allegations that surfaced against Doug Emhoff ahead of the 2024 presidential election was rumors of his affair with his children's nanny while he was married to his ex-wife, Kerstin Emhoff. The nanny also happened to be teaching at his children's private school at the time. Sources told the Daily Mail that the nanny, Najen Naylor, got pregnant during the affair but did not carry the baby to term. She is said to have had a miscarriage, for which she blamed Emhoff, and the second gentleman reportedly had her sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) after their relationship ended. Emhoff's wife eventually discovered he was having an affair, and it led to the breakdown of their marriage.

While making an appearance on MSNBC shortly after the story broke, Emhoff did not deny the affair, but also didn't directly address it. Instead, he dubbed it a sleazy smear campaign orchestrated by the MAGA camp. "We don't have time to focus on it," he said. "It's all a distraction. It's designed to try to get us off our game." He emphasized that the Harris campaign had little time to entertain all the dirt the Trump camp was slinging their way. "The stakes are too high, so all that other stuff you're talking about bounces off," he added.

Emhoff did eventually release a statement addressing the rumors, admitting that it wasn't just tabloid fodder. He took responsibility for the affair and the breakdown of his marriage, telling CNN that while it was a tough time for his family, it eventually brought them closer. The lawyer also made it clear that his wife, Kamala Harris, knew all about the sordid affair before they tied the knot.

It should come as no surprise that viral divorce rumors have haunted Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff, especially after it was revealed that the former second gentleman allegedly slapped one of his ex-girlfriends in public back in 2012. The alleged incident came back to haunt him ahead of the 2024 presidential election when the Daily Mail ran a story on the alleged incident, citing three unnamed sources who claimed to be friends of the woman Emhoff struck (who also remained anonymous). The tipsers provided pictures and documents to corroborate their story.

The alleged abuse took place after the then-couple attended a gala dinner in Cannes, France. Sources say Emhoff thought his girlfriend was flirting with one of the valets as they got ready to leave and lost his temper. After the incident, the woman called one of her friends. "It was very clear what she was telling me," the friend told the Daily Mail. "She said she was with a guy, her date, she was at the Cannes Film Festival, and he hit her." The source said the woman "slapped him back" and "broke up with him that night." Emhoff's spokesperson told Semafor that the allegations were rubbish. "Any suggestion that he would or has ever hit a woman is false," they said.

The allegations were nonetheless a very bad look for Emhoff, who has been praised for being a true gentleman. MSNBC host Jen Psaki even praised him for "[reshaping] the perception of masculinity." Emhoff responded, "I've always been like this ... to me, it's the right thing to do — support women."

While most Democrats thought it a sweet, normal moment, some Republicans thought that the hug between Doug Emhoff and his daughter, Ella Emhoff, during the 2024 Democratic National Convention was one of the shadiest things they'd ever seen. Netizens took to X, formerly Twitter, to proclaim that the embrace was wildly inappropriate. "Totally not weird," one critic wrote alongside a snap of Emhoff with his arm around his daughter. "And why is his hand right there around her waist?" another added. Kylie Jane Kremer, executive director of Women for America First, also weighed in. "Are we sure Doug only slept with the nanny? I'm getting some strange vibes between these two," she wrote.

These comments were quickly criticized by those who didn't share the Republicans' views. Many questioned why hugging one's daughter would be perceived as shady. Others were happy to point out that Donald Trump's comments and behavior toward his daughter, Ivanka Trump, was far weirder than the simple, casual hug between Emhoff and Ella.

Being the husband of the former vice president was sure to put a spotlight on all Dough Emhoff's past mistakes. In the face of the accusations, though, the former second gentleman seemed to avoid addressing them directly. Instead, he criticized the media tempest as an attempt to distract Kamala Harris and her team from their campaign efforts. He also saw it as proof that Donald Trump was terrified of debating Harris again, thus opting to sling as much mud at her and her family as possible instead of trying to prove himself the better candidate on the debate stage. "He got his a** kicked," Emhoff told MSNBC. "So he's afraid that's going to happen again. Rather, he's creating this fog of misinformation and disinformation and gaslighting rather than face her again."

While making an appearance on the "Jennifer Hudson Show" in October 2024, Emhoff admitted that being the husband of the vice president still felt "very surreal," but said that his relationship with Harris hadn't changed that much. Harris made her own appearance on Hudson's show and also didn't directly address the accusations, instead praising her husband for putting up with all the vitriol since she became the vice president. "He's taking on the issue of hate and antisemitism, and hate that's just so pervasive," she said.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.