Vice President Kamala Harris’s husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, acknowledged that he had cheated on his first wife, film producer Kerstin Emhoff, with their children’s nanny, adding that he “took responsibility” for his actions.
In a statement to CNN, Emhoff acknowledged that he and Kerstin had gone “through some tough time” due to his “actions,” but that they had dealt with things “as a family” and were now stronger.
Emhoff’s statement comes after a report from the DailyMail claimed that Emhoff had an affair with the couple’s nanny, Najen Naylor, 47, and allegedly got her pregnant.
“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions,” Emhoff said in his statement. “I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side.
The outlet claimed that a “close friend” who had known about the affair and the alleged pregnancy said that Naylor did not end up keeping the baby.
Upon being approached by the outlet at her home in the Hamptons, Naylor reportedly told the outlet that she was “kind of freaked out right now” and did not comment on the story.
At the time of the affair, Naylor had worked as a teaching assistant and teacher at the Willows Community School in Culver City, California, as well as a nanny for Emhoff’s daughter, Ella. The school, which consists of kindergarten through eighth grade, has tuition prices that run from $32,525 to $41,535, according to the school’s website.
Stacey Brooks, another friend of Naylor’s, who gave birth to twin boys around the same time that Naylor would have been expecting her child, reportedly also confirmed the affair and the pregnancy, but would not provide additional details without consent from Naylor, according to the outlet.
The outlet reported that Naylor’s Facebook shows a video with three babies, Sawyer, George, and Brook. Sawyer and George are reportedly Brooks’ children who were born in July 2009, while it is uncertain whose child the third baby is, according to the outlet.
Another friend of Naylor’s reportedly dismissed claims that Naylor had been pregnant, stating that “There was no baby.”
“Every parent wanted her to be the teacher for their kid,” the friend told the New York Post. “She was the perfect person. She came from a good family. She was not pregnant. There was no baby. I would know.”
In Emhoff’s statement to CNN, he did not address allegations of a pregnancy with Naylor.
Kerstin Emhoff issued a statement praising her ex-husband for being a “great father” to their children, and a “great friend” to her.
“Doug and I decided to end our marriage for a variety of reasons, many years ago,” Kerstin said in her 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.”