While you may notice a shady side of Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff’s marriage if you look hard enough, the former second couple have long cultivated the image of a modern political power couple. In fact, Even though Emhoff has admitted his marriage to his ex, Kerstin, was less than ideal (cheating tends to do that), he and Harris always put on a united front, making everyone believe that their relationship was all rainbows and butterflies. Then again, if you look past the photo ops and polished interviews, there are hints that things behind the scenes might not be quite so picture-perfect.
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But you wouldn’t hear that from them, of course, with the two hyping each other up whenever they get the chance. “I love my husband. I love our marriage,” Harris told People, which Emhoff pretty much echoed. “She’s an amazing wife, loving to me. She focuses on me as much as I focus on her. Maybe I’m a little more public about it,” he told the outlet. “Behind the scenes she’s just a wonderful, caring, loving wife and great mom, auntie, friend. She loves to laugh, which is a good thing. She loves to cook, she loves music. And so she’s just someone who’s a great partner in every sense of the word.”
What happens behind closed doors may be another story, though. Rumors suggest the two are contemplating divorce, especially after the 2024 presidential elections, where the former vice president lost to Donald Trump. From reports of Harris blaming Emhoff for the loss to their increasingly separate professional lives, here are some signs their marriage may be on shaky ground.
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The couple is reportedly doing long distance with Doug’s new job
After Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential loss, she and husband Doug Emhoff reportedly packed up and left Washington, D.C., but make no mistake — they didn’t go straight for retirement. Word on the street is Harris has been eyeing the California governor’s seat, hoping to succeed Gavin Newsom as he finishes his final term. And apparently, she’s already got a whole team of cheerleaders among her colleagues. “I hope she does. I have already raised my hand to endorse her, if she does,” State Attorney General Rob Bonta told Politico. “Her name recognition, her favorables, her ability to run a successful campaign would have the impact of clearing the field on the Democratic side.”
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But while Harris is mulling her future in California, Emhoff headed in the completely opposite direction — literally. In January 2025, just days after vacating the Vice President’s residence, he announced he was jumping back into corporate law. His new gig is at a bicoastal firm, with bicoastal being the operative word, and the job practically has him ping-ponging between Los Angeles and New York. That just means he and Harris have no choice but to do long distance — and we all know how those kinds of marriages play out. Emhoff, who has long worked in the law industry before becoming the second gentleman, joined the firm to “focus on advising corporations, boards of directors, and individuals on their most consequential business challenges, sensitive investigations, and complex litigation,” per a press release.
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As for Harris, she hasn’t confirmed her next move, at least as of this writing, but the speculation is loud. And if she does throw her hat in the ring, others may quietly step aside before the race even begins.
There are rumors that Kamala is blaming Doug for losing the election
There’s no denying that Doug Emhoff pulled all the stops to help boost Kamala Harris in her 2024 presidential run. With his wife jumping into the race late — only after Joe Biden bowed out — Emhoff effectively became Harris’ hype man. He went all out, rallying Democrats in deep-red states like Florida, making the media rounds, and hitting up fundraiser after fundraiser, pulling in millions for the campaign.
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But while Emhoff was practically breaking his back to score votes for Harris, he also brought a fair amount of baggage — much to the detriment of Harris’ optics. Just as the campaign started picking up steam, his past came back to bite him — hard. Rumors of cheating from his first marriage resurfaced, which then forced him to do damage control and make a public apology. And if that wasn’t messy enough, some of his former staffers came forward with claims of workplace misconduct, branding him “flirty,” “misogynistic,” and, to top it off, a total “a**hole,” per the Daily Mail.
These controversies, one can imagine, hurt Harris’ campaign. And with her loss, rumor has it that the former vice president considered her husband a “dead weight.” In fact, she apparently considered him partly to blame for losing to Donald Trump. “There’s plenty of blame to go around as far as Kamala is concerned and Doug has his share,” an insider told the outlet. “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.”
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According to an expert, Kamala’s loss had a hugely negative impact on their marriage
Even if the rumors about Kamala Harris blaming Doug Emhoff for her loss turned out to be bogus, her defeat probably didn’t do their marriage any favors. After all, losing a presidential race after months of relentless campaigning and constant media attention isn’t exactly couple’s therapy. Speaking to Nicki Swift, celebrity love coach Nicole Moore didn’t sugarcoat its potential effects on their marriage.
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“Losing an election can definitely negatively affect a relationship. Campaigning requires a tremendous amount of energy and resources and the lack of couple time and added stress can definitely create problems in a relationship,” she explained in an exclusive interview. ” When one partner is camping for an important position and they’re in the spotlight, it can also create imbalanced power dynamics due to the focus being so much on that partner’s needs and career.”
What’s more, Moore said that the imbalance can breed resentment fast, which is the last thing their marriage needs. “It’s common for partners of someone who is running for office to feel underlying resentment toward their partner due to their career taking over so much of the couple’s lives,” she added. “Couples may justify the added stress on their marriage by saying it will be worth it once they’re in office, but if a partner loses their campaign it can cause regret, guilt or feeling that it wasn’t worth it to sacrifice so much.”
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However, they can recuperate by shifting their focus to another goal
Of course, if there is trouble in paradise, that doesn’t mean Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff’s marriage is doomed to fail. According to Nicole Moore, the couple could absolutely bounce back — that is, if they’re willing to put in the work.
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“For a couple that’s had a setback professionally or personally it’s so important for them to actually acknowledge the emotions instead of trying to push past them and just get back to normal. If couples use the setback as a moment to reassess relationship priorities, clear negative feelings and resentments and get back on the same page, they can come back from a setback even stronger,” she told Nicki Swift.
Apparently, all it takes is spending more quality time and pivoting their focus to something else. “One thing that can help couples recover from a setback is taking a couple vacation, as budget allows, and spending some dedicated one on one time strengthening their romantic connection. It’s important for both partners to reassure the other that the setback hasn’t diminished their love or belief in each other as often times people fear their partner will love them less if they fail,” she continued, adding that chasing a new dream together might just do the trick. “Sometimes the best thing that can help couples recover from a setback is committing to another goal or dream as it keeps them in forward momentum and united on a common goal.”
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