Tragic Details About Kamala Harris' Husband Doug Emhoff

Many political commentators are firmly of the opinion that Former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff is the real reason why Former Vice President Kamala Harris ultimately lost the 2024 presidential election. And rumors have been swirling for a while that Harris and Emhoff may be headed for divorce as a result. It's not clear if the VP also blames her hubby for the loss, but there's no arguing that Emhoff made all the wrong waves in the run-up to Election Day, leading to the former second gentleman weathering several media storms. It appeared the opposition couldn't find any dirt on Harris that would stick, so naturally, they turned to her husband instead.

In August 2024, the second gentleman was featured in almost every political headline as an affair he once had with his children's nanny, Najen Naylor, became tabloid fodder (the infidelity occurred during his first marriage, not Emhoff's relationship with Harris). Even worse, the nanny fell pregnant. A friend of Naylor's later confirmed to the Daily Mail that she never had the baby but it's not clear exactly what she meant by this. Emhoff, instead of denying it, as is typical in politics these days, acknowledged his indiscretion shortly after the story broke, telling CNN that he took full responsibility for his actions.

Emhoff's honesty didn't help Harris' image or her fledgling campaign, however. As one source asserted to the Daily Mail, in January 2025, "There's plenty of blame to go around as far as Kamala is concerned and Doug has his share," adding, "Doug did Kamala no favors during the election — frankly, he looked like a hypocritical a** after the bombshells that he had got his child's nanny pregnant while married to his first wife and assaulted his ex-girlfriend on the heels of his 'I am woman' crusade."

Additional shady details about Kamala Harris' husband Doug Emhoff were leaked to the press in October 2024 — it appears that he became the sole target of his wife's political adversaries. This time, the Daily Mail published a tell-all piece complete with quotes from Emhoff's former colleagues at his Venable law firm. They asserted that he was quite the flirt during his tenure and that not indulging Emhoff had dire consequences. "If you weren't flirty back or didn't respond positively then you were on his s—t list," one former female staffer alleged.

Emhoff also allegedly bragged about telling a female colleague to "get the f**k out of my office," telling his male colleagues that he'd "put her in her place." He also reportedly hired a young woman to be his secretary simply because she was good-looking. Aside from having to deal with having his alleged dirty laundry aired to the world, Emhoff's behavior was also a very bad look for the husband of a woman who was trying to win the presidency, especially because the Harris campaign championed Emhoff as a man who respects and supports women.

While speaking to MSNBC in September 2024, Emhoff was asked whether he'd always been an avid advocate for and supporter of women, or whether he grew into it over time. "I've always been like this. My dad was like this and I am like this," Emhoff affirmed. "To me it is the right thing to do [to] support women." He added that equal rights were crucial, noting, "When we lift women up, we lift up families and the economy." Unfortunately, after the Daily Mail's article, many questioned the second gentleman's words.

More generally speaking, October 2024 was a bad month for Doug Emhoff. The bombshell allegations against Kamala Harris' husband just kept piling up, with the Daily Mail running another story about him allegedly abusing an ex-girlfriend in 2012. The woman, who has remained anonymous, didn't speak to the outlet herself, but three close friends told her story, claiming that the former second gentleman had slapped their friend because he thought she was flirting with one of the valets at the Cannes Film Festival. 

The woman, referred to only as Jane, told her friends that she returned the slap and swiftly dumped him. One pal recalled getting a phone call from Jane shortly after the alleged incident went down, explaining, "It was hard to hear her because she was sobbing. She told me she was with a guy and he hit her. It was very clear what she was telling me." These accusations dealt another blow to Emhoff's formerly squeaky clean public image, and it was even worse for Harris' presidential campaign. 

While the former second gentleman almost immediately addressed the infidelity rumors after they made headlines, he remained mum when Jane's story came out. Instead, his spokesperson addressed the allegations, telling Semafor, "This report is untrue." An opinion piece published by the New York Post criticized the lawyer, pointing out that he'd effectively become a liability to his wife and that all the interviews in which he championed women hadn't aged well.

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.

Among the many hardships that Doug Emhoff has had to weather since his wife stepped into the political spotlight, losing his presidential appointment as a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council courtesy of Donald Trump was probably one of the most humiliating. The former second gentleman took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce his dismissal, accusing the Trump administration of politicizing "Holocaust remembrance and education." He added, "To turn one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue is dangerous." 

Regardless, Emhoff was determined to continue educating people on the atrocities that took place under the Nazi regime, proclaiming, "Silence is never an option." The lawyer previously told MSNBC how passionate he was about the fight against anti-Semitism. "We have to speak out every single time when something like that [anti-Semitism] happens," he said, referring to some incendiary comments that the president had made, reiterating, "I'm going to continue not to be afraid, not to be intimidated, not to live in fear, but to live openly and proudly."

Emhoff wasn't the only one who got removed from the council. Several others appointed by the Biden administration were summarily dismissed, including the former ambassador to Spain and Andorra Alan Solomont. He shared the contents of the short, brutal email, which signed off with a terse "Thank you for your service" with the Jewish Insider. This is likely the same correspondence Emhoff received. According to Solomont, the email failed to provide any context as to why members of the council were being let go, while the White House didn't offer any explanation when asked for comment either.

Before Doug Emhoff became the first second gentleman of the United States, he was a successful attorney. When Kamala Harris became the nation's first female vice president, Emhoff quit his job to support her. "When this opportunity came up, I decided I was going to take a step away from my career," he clarified while making an appearance on "The Talk" in 2024 (via Instagram). The proud husband reiterated that leaving his job was his way of putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to wholeheartedly supporting his wife's career without harboring any resentment.

While Emhoff received plenty of praise from certain pundits, others felt that he wasn't sacrificing nearly as much as he was gaining from being the second gentleman. An opinion piece published by NBC News argued that, not only had Emhoff made history alongside his wife, but he also got some excellent perks, like top healthcare, a big, lavish house that he didn't have to pay for, and the ear of one of the most powerful women in the world. 

As a result, it's safe to say Emhoff has had a hard time winning in the court of public opinion, and given all the dirt that's been dug up about him thus far, the former second gentleman's reputation has been tarnished for good.