Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff marked their 10th wedding anniversary at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff could become the next president and first gentleman of the United States.
When President Joe Biden announced his exit from the 2024 race, he also endorsed Harris to replace him as the Democratic nominee. Harris officially accepted the nomination at the Democratic National Convention on August 22, 2024, which also happened to be her and Emhoff’s 10th wedding anniversary.
Here’s a look at Harris and Emhoff’s love story.2013: Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff met on a blind date.
Doug Emhoff, an entertainment lawyer, had been married before to film producer Kerstin Emhoff. The couple shares two children, Cole and Ella, and divorced after 16 years of marriage.
After reports emerged in 2024 that their marriage ended due to an extramarital affair, Emhoff released a statement acknowledging that he and Kerstin Emhoff « went through some tough times on account of my actions. »
« 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 said.
Five years after his divorce, Emhoff and Harris were set up on a blind date by Harris’ friend Chrisette Hudlin, who met Emhoff through work. At the time, Harris was serving as California’s attorney general.
« The morning after our first date, @DouglasEmhoff emailed me a list of his available dates for the next couple of months », Harris wrote on Instagram on Emhoff’s birthday in 2020. « He said, ‘I want to see if we can make this work.’ We’ve been making it work ever since. »
Emhoff described meeting Harris as « love at first sight » in a 2020 Instagram post for her birthday.August 22, 2014: The couple wed in a ceremony officiated by Harris’ sister Maya.
According to a profile of Emhoff by Marie Claire, he proposed during a « decidedly unromantic conversation (she was deliberating between chicken or shrimp pad thai) » less than a year after they met.
Harris and Emhoff held their wedding at a courthouse in Santa Barbara, California. Harris wrote in a 2019 Elle Mother’s Day essay that she and Emhoff’s children didn’t like the term « stepmom », so they began calling her « Momala. »2015: The couple attended the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party together.
Others in attendance at the star-studded event included Beyoncé and Jay Z, Anna Wintour, Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey, and Reese Witherspoon, Vanity Fair reported.2016: Harris successfully ran for US senate, with Emhoff accompanying her to campaign events.
Emhoff came with her to vote at the Kenter Canyon Elementary Charter School Auditorium in Brentwood, California, in 2016.January 2017: Emhoff held the Bible for Harris’ swearing-in ceremony as a US senator.
Then-Vice President Joe Biden administered Harris’ oath of office. Harris later became Biden’s vice presidential pick in his 2020 campaign.January 2019: Harris launched her presidential campaign with Emhoff by her side.
Harris launched her presidential campaign on the steps of Oakland City Hall, where 20,000 people attended the event, SF Weekly reported.
« I’m not overly political », Emhoff later told Marie Claire of his involvement in her campaign. « I’m overly her husband. »January 2019: Harris wrote about the early days of her courtship with Emhoff in her memoir, « The Truths We Hold. »
Harris wrote about bringing Emhoff to a professional gathering with her for the first time while they were dating, prompting « whispers and pointing among my team. »
« They would later refer to that era as AD — ‘After Doug' », she wrote of her colleagues. « They loved how much he made me laugh. I did, too. »June 2019: Harris and Emhoff attended the California Democratic Party State Organizing Convention together.
Harris greeted supporters outside the Moscone Center in San Francisco.August 2019: Emhoff snapped a selfie with Harris before her speech at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines ahead of the Iowa caucuses.
He showed off his Kamala phone case.December 2019: After Harris ended her presidential bid, Emhoff posted a supportive message on Instagram.
« I’ve got you @kamalaharris. As always », Emhoff captioned a black-and-white Instagram photo of him embracing her, complete with a heart emoji.
