Second gentleman Doug Emhoff acknowledged on Saturday that he had an extramarital affair during his first marriage after the Daily Mail published a report alleging that he impregnated a nanny, CNN reported.
Emhoff admitted that he had an affair while married to his first wife, Kerstin, in a statement provided to CNN, though he did not specifically address who his mistress was. The Daily Mail story alleged that Emhoff was sleeping with a teacher at his then-young daughter’s school who also worked for the family as a nanny, and that the relationship allegedly resulted in a pregnancy.
“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions,” Emhoff said in his statement to 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.”
Emhoff’s statement also did not specify whether the relationship resulted in a pregnancy.
The Daily Mail story alleged that Emhoff slept with a teacher at a ritzy California private school called The Willows where Emhoff’s daughter, Ella, was a student at the time.
The story further alleged that Kirsten Emhoff discovered the affair some time in 2009 and subsequently ended her 16-year marriage to Emhoff. In 2014, Emhoff and Vice President Kamala Harris — then serving as California’s attorney general — got married.
The affair was known to President Joe Biden’s vetting team when they were going through the process of selecting a running mate in the 2020 election cycle, according to CNN, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter. Emhoff apparently told Harris about the affair well before the two were wed, the same source told the outlet.
Emhoff was also aware that the affair could eventually become public information, according to CNN, again citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter.
Featured Image Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America
