Doug Emhoff acknowledges affair during previous marriage

WASHINGTON — Second gentleman Doug Emhoff acknowledged Saturday having an affair during his previous marriage before his divorce with his ex-wife, Kerstin Emhoff.

“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I 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,” Emhoff said in a statement provided to USA TODAY.

The Daily Mail reported earlier on Saturday that Emhoff, an attorney married to Vice President Kamala Harris, had a relationship with a nanny who was also a teacher of Doug and Kerstin Emhoff's young daughter. The relationship preceded the end of his first marriage in the 2009.

According to a person familiar with the conversations, Emhoff told Harris, now the Democratic nominee for president, about the affair well before they married in 2014. The person added that the relationship and circumstances around it were also disclosed to President Joe Biden’s vetting committee when Harris was herself going through the running-mate vetting process four years ago before being picked for the 2020 ticket.

Emhoff, 59, has two adult children with his first wife Kerstin Emhoff, a film producer. They were married for 16 years. The Daily Mail reported that the woman in her 30s at the time became pregnant and that, according to a close friend, she “did not keep the child.”

"Doug and I decided to end our marriage for a variety of reasons, many years ago," Kerstin Emhoff said in a statement. "He is a great father to our kids, continues to be a great friend to me and I am really proud of the warm and supportive blended family Doug, Kamala, and I have built together."

Doug Emhoff has been a vigorous defender of Harris on the campaign trail during her run for president that started two weeks ago when Biden dropped out of the race .

“That’s all he’s got?" Emhoff said last week when asked to respond to former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, calling Harris "dumb as a rock.” Emhoff added: "We’re going to prosecute the case against Donald Trump and his lies, his gaslighting."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Doug Emhoff acknowledges affair during previous marriage