In 2013, a blind date set by a mutual friend, Chrisette Hudlin, changed Kamala Harris and Douglas Emhoff‘s lives forever. Emhoff, an attorney based in Los Angeles, remembered the heated showdown over how to settle a contentious client meeting, which surprisingly ended up in finding a new love. How? Well, a happy client settled the case and this client then offered to connect him with Harris, providing him with her phone number for a date!
When Douglas first contacted Kamala, his call ended with an awkward voicemail left at an off-hour: 8:30 AM. He admitted, “I just started rambling.” Kamala, on the other hand, found the charm in his sincerity. Each anniversary, she plays that voicemail for him, as a delightful reminder of their unconventional beginning.
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The spark that ignited their romance
While Douglas and Kamala were set up on a blind date, in a 2021 interview with CBS News, Kamala revealed that she did Google search Douglas Emhoff before meeting him in person.
Their first official conversation went on for an hour, and they were laughing and genuinely connecting. Humorously, Douglas recalled about their first date, where he told Kamala, “Buckle up— I’m a really bad driver” as he picked her up. It was through these kinds of lighthearted exchanges that they realised that they both had a weak spot for humour which set the tone for their relationship and helped them bond.
Doug Emhoff, an entertainment lawyer, had been married before to film producer Kerstin Emhoff. The couple shares two children, Cole and Ella, and divorced after 16 years of marriage.Harris was serving as California’s Attorney General.The two were set up on a blind date by Harris’ friend Chrisette Hudlin, who met Emhoff through work. “The morning after our first date, @DouglasEmhoff emailed me a list of his available dates for the next couple of months,” Harris wrote on Instagram on Emhoff’s birthday in 2020. “He said, ‘I want to see if we can make this work.’ We’ve been making it work ever since.”Emhoff described meeting Harris as “love at first sight” in a 2020 Instagram post for her birthday.
After a whirlwind romance, Douglas proposed in March 2014 in an unconventional moment. Caught up in the fray of packing for a trip, Kamala did not know that he was about to pop the question. His original plan to pop the question in Florence, Italy, became an impromptu moment that turned into a heartfelt “yes” and a wedding on August 22, 2014, blending Indian and Jewish traditions.
A loving family dynamic
Douglas Emhof was earlier married to Kerstin, with whom he had two children, Cole and Ella. In a May 2019 piece for Elle, Kamala shared her intention to take things slow when meeting Douglas’ children. Meanwhile, Douglas said that he wanted the children, as well as their mother, to embrace their blended family with open arms. Over time, the children grew fond of Kamla whom they lovingly referred to as “Momala,” which describes the love and acceptance between them.
From serving as California’s Attorney General to being a U.S. Senator, Douglas has been Kamala’s ally and supporter, following her through the history-making process to becoming the first woman of colour nominated on a major party’s presidential ticket. Also, while Kamala served as the Vice President of the US, Douglas became the first Second Gentleman of the US, thus creating history in his won right.
A historic Presidential campaign
As Kamala runs for the Presidential post, Douglas has taken on the role of the to-be first gentleman of the US, advocating relentlessly for several social issues, including combating anti-Semitism. Supporting Kamala through thick and thin, he describes her as a “joyful warrior” who dedicates herself to the people she loves and serves.
Talking about Kamala, he once quite poignantly said, “Kamala was exactly the right person for me at an important moment in my life. And at this moment in our nation’s history, she is exactly the right President.”
A future together
On the brink of making history together, Kamala’s official presidential nomination coincides with their tenth wedding anniversary. Should Kamala make it as the President of the USA, Douglas will probably be the First Gentleman of the United States, and therefore his love story would not be one of just romance but of shared aspirations for the future of America.
Their journey, from a blind date that catapulted them into the political limelight of the US, exemplifies the power of love and partnership and the belief that together, people can make a difference in this world.