Who Is Doug Emhoff's Ex-Wife? All About Kerstin Emhoff and Her Friendship with Kamala Harris

Mar. 15, 2025

Douglas Emhoff and Kamala Harris on stage after Harris delivered her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on August 19, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. ; Kerstin Emhoff speaks onstage during 2016 Advertising Week New York on September 27, 2016 in New York City.Photo:Robin Marchant/Getty

Robin Marchant/Getty

Doug Emhoffhasbeen marriedto Vice PresidentKamala Harrissince 2014, but he was previously wed to Kerstin Emhoff for nearly two decades.

The second gentleman was first married to his ex-wife, Kerstin, in 1992. They welcomed two children, Ella and Cole, together before their divorce was finalized in 2010. Doug met the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee in 2013, and the couple wed a year later.

Doug has been upfront about how his previous marriage ended after he hadan extramarital affairwith a teacher at his children’s school.

“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions,” Doug shared in a statement withCNNin August 2024. “I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side.”

So who is Doug Emhoff’s first wife? Here’s everything to know about Kerstin Emhoff and her former relationship with the second gentleman.

She is the CEO of her own production company

Kerstin Emhoff and Ella Emhoff attend W Magazine 50th Anniversary on October 12, 2022 in New York City.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Kerstin graduated from Boston University in 1990 with a degree in film/cinema/video studies. She founded Prettybird, a hybrid production company that specializes in branded and music content, in 2007, per herLinkedIn. Since then, she’s expanded her roster and is the CEO of Prettybird in addition to Ventureland and Pipelines, all different types of production companies within the entertainment industry.

Prettybird is the production company behind a number of notable projects, includingBeyoncé’s 2016 “Formation” music video.

Kerstin and Doug were married for over 15 years

Kerstin Emhoff, Ella Emhoff and Doug Emhoff after Ella graduated college in May 2021.Kerstin Emhoff/Instagram

Kerstin Emhoff/Instagram

Kerstin and Doug got married in 1992 after meeting in the early 1990s while she was waitressing in Los Angeles. As someone in the creative field, Kerstin admitted she didn’t expect to fall for someone in politics.

“I would have never thought that I would have married a lawyer,” she toldPoliticoin June 2021. “I was a film student and I grew up in a performing arts school, but you know I like really smart people, and he’s incredibly smart and we connected very quickly.”

However, their marriage came to an end in 2010 after they finalized their divorce.

They share two children together

Cole Emhoff, Kerstin Emhoff, Doug Emhoff, Ella Emhoff, Samuel Hine, and Cole’s wife Greenley Littlejohn ahead of their wedding in May 2023.Kerstin Emhoff/Instagram

Kerstin and Doug welcomed their first child, son Cole, on Sept. 15, 1994. Five years later, they had their daughter, Ella, on May 29, 1999. After Doug married Harris, the three developed a strong coparenting relationship, raising the children together.

“My children don’t call me stepmom, they call me Momala,” Harris told PEOPLE in August 2020. “We’re a very modern family.Their mom is a close friend of mine.”

In a 2019 essay forElle, Harris wrote about how she and Kerstin hit it off while coparenting as they attended sports events and family gatherings together.

“She and I became a duo of cheerleaders in the bleachers at Ella’s swim meets and basketball games, often to Ella’s embarrassment,” Harris wrote. “We sometimes joke that our modern family is almost a little too functional.”

Doug admitted to having an extramarital affair during their relationship

Doug Emhoff speaks onstage during Global Citizen NOW 2024 at Spring Studios on May 01, 2024 in New York City. ; Kerstin Emhoff at the D and AD Impact Awards Ceremony on September 26, 2017.Noam Galai/Getty ; Shutterstock

Noam Galai/Getty ; Shutterstock

In August 2024, Doug admitted to engaging in an affair that led to the end of his relationship with Kerstin. According toThe Daily Mail, Doug had an affair with a teacher at his children’s elementary school in Culver City, Calif. PerThe New York Times, Harris knew of the affair before marrying Doug and the Biden campaign was aware before choosing Harris as his vice president pick in 2020.

“Doug and I decided to end our marriage for a variety of reasons, many years ago,” Kerstin said in her own statement to CNN. “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.”

Kerstin was supportive of Doug’s relationship with Harris from the beginning

Kamala Harris, Doug Emhoff and Kerstin Emhoff celebrating Cole’s college graduation in May 2017.Kerstin Emhoff/Instagram

When Kerstin found out Doug was starting to date Harris — who was the attorney general in California at the time — she was excited for him, she toldMarie Clairein 2020.

“I just thought, ‘Wow, that’s cool. Don’t mess this up!’ " she said.

The three eventually formed a bond, even exercising together.

Kerstin and Harris now have a close friendship

Kerstin Emhoff with her children, Cole and Ella, ahead of the presidential inauguration in January 2021.Kerstin Emhoff/ instagram

When Harris announced her bid for the presidency in the 2020 election, she and Kerstin were already close friends. The producer even volunteered to lend her help to the campaign, offering her creative knowledge and connections.

“They were like, ‘The ex-wife wants to dowhat?’ ” Kerstin recalled toMarie Claireof Harris’ campaign’s reaction.

Kerstin also admitted that Doug is a better husband to Harris than he had been in the past, planning trips for the couple and taking initiative in the relationship.

“Of course he’s a better husband, and that’s great,” Kerstin said in a 2021 interview withTIME. “That’s how it should be.”

source: people.com