US Vice President Kamala Harris has been in the limelight since Joe Biden stepped down from the presidential race this year. So far, we know all about her early life, marriage, career, and her impressive property portfolio worth $8 million. Harris married her husband, Douglas Emhoff, in 2014 and has been with him for over 10 years now.
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In addition to becoming Emhoff’s wife, Harris also became the stepmother of two children from his previous marriage. Emhoff was married to his ex-wife, Kerstin, for 16 years before the couple split. While Harris does not have children of her own, it is understood that she’s very close with her stepchildren — Cole and Ella.
Kamala Harris’ close bond with her stepchildren Cole and Ella
Harris — who has a staggering net worth — may be the Vice President of the US to the world, but behind her political persona, she acts as ‘Momala’ for her two stepchildren. According to Oprah Daily, Cole and Ella call her ‘Momala’ because neither of them approved of the term ‘stepmom.’ She said:
It’s the name the kids gave me, and I wear it proudly.
Harris wrote a personal essay for Elle in 2019 and revealed that once she started dating Emhoff, the two decided to take some time before introducing her to his kids. She wrote:
I was determined not to insert myself in their lives until Doug and I had established we were in this for the long haul.
Children need consistency; I didn’t want to [be] a temporary fixture, because I didn’t want to disappoint them. There’s nothing worse than disappointing a child.
Interestingly, two months into her relationship with Emhoff, she was introduced to his kids. When she first met them, she brought along a tin of cookies that were tied in a neat bow. Over the years, she formed a great bond with them. She said:
They are brilliant, talented, funny kids who have grown to be remarkable adults. I was already hooked on Doug, but I believe it was Cole and Ella who reeled me in.
Harris also explained that Emhoff’s ex-wife, Kerstin, is her ‘dear friend’ and the three of them have a ‘modern and a little too functional family.’ She became particularly close to Kerstin when she entered the kids’ lives. She said:
She and I became a duo of cheerleaders in the bleachers…We sometimes joke that our modern family is almost a little too functional.
Everything we know about Kamala Harris’ stepchildren — Cole and Ella Emhoff
Both Cole and Ella are named after musicians Ella Fitzgerald and John Coltrane. Cole, 29, was born on 15 September 1994, and was raised in California. He was nearly 20 when his father married Harris, and reportedly, he liked her from the minute they met for the first time. In a conversation with Glamour in 2020, Cole revealed that he got to know Harris as a stepmother before she became a politician, but her political side would often come out at the dinner table, engaging in conversations.
Cole attended Colorado College and graduated with a degree in psychology in 2017, reports People Magazine. He now works for Plan B Entertainment, a production company co-founded by Brad Pitt.
The 29-year-old married his long-term girlfriend, Greenley Littlejohn, last year. Harris officiated their wedding — suggesting that Harris is a well-liked parent in his life. She later said it was ‘wonderful’ of the kids to ask her to officiate, and the moment ‘meant so much for so many reasons.’
Ella, Emhoff’s daughter, also shares a great bond with Harris. Both of them were present when she was sworn in as the Vice President in 2021. Ella, 25, was born on 29 May 1999. She was in high school when she first met Harris. Since then, she has graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City and majored in apparel and textiles.
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Sources Used
Oprah Daily: Everything to Know About Kamala Harris’s Stepchildren, Cole and Ella
People Magazine: Kamala Harris' 2 Stepchildren: All About Ella and Cole
