Doug Emhoff, who has been touted for being a supportive husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, has become a prominent figure in the public eye. He is often praised for reshaping perceptions of masculinity and in a recent interview he claimed that supporting women came to him naturally.
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However, a report has recently resurfaced regarding an altercation from his past and it’s not related to him being unfaithful to his ex-wife Kerstin. According to three women who spoke to Daily Mail, in 2012, Emhoff allegedly slapped his then-girlfriend during a Cannes Film Festival gala.
The incident at the Cannes Film Festival
In May 2012, Emhoff attended a gala at the Cannes Film Festival with his girlfriend at the time, reports New York Post. Three unnamed friends of the woman—a successful New York attorney—claimed that Emhoff struck her so hard in the face that she spun around while they were in a valet line.
The source told the publication:
It was something like 3 a.m. They were trying to get out of there and they both had been drinking. There was a gigantic line for taxis.
She went up to one of the valet guys, offered him 100 Euros or whatever, to get to the head of the line. She told me she put her hand on his shoulder. Doug apparently thought that she was flirting, and came over and slapped her in the face.
The woman reportedly called one of her friends, a male businessman, sobbing from a cab shortly after the event and told him:
She said she was with a guy, her date, she was at the Cannes Film Festival, and he hit her. She was in the car with the guy at the time.
The businessman added:
My impression is that he had a lot to drink…. she wasn’t slurring her word...She told me that she broke up with him that night.
It is alleged that Emhoff had been dating the woman for three months at that point and had even introduced his son Cole to her.
The businessman also claimed that Emhoff forced his way into the cab with the woman despite her desire to leave alone. He said:
She said she wanted to go back to the hotel without him. But while she was shutting the door, he forced himself into the car, which she did not want.
I think she asked him ‘what the f–k was that all about?’ in the car, and the only thing she could really get out of him was that he thought she was hitting on the valet.
How did the ex-girlfriend react to Emhoff allegedly slapping her?
According to one of the sources, another New York-based female attorney, the woman also slapped him in return. The source said:
He hauled up and slapped her so hard she spun around. She said she was in utter shock. She was so furious, she slapped him on one side, and then on the other cheek with the other hand.
Adding:
She couldn’t believe he is the person that he is, and that it turned into this trailer trash moment. She realized he was bad news. This was the first time she saw his ugly side.
Allegedly, Emhoff was unapologetic about the incident and hinted that they both were ‘even’ as the woman also slapped him. A source claims:
I asked her if he ever apologized. She said no, but he commented about the hit she gave him. It was a tennis metaphor. But no apology at all.
All he said to her was, ‘Don’t worry about it, you got one across the court and down the line.’
Proof of Emhoff’s relationship with the woman and their trips to Cannes provided to Daily Mail include the couple’s picture together, their itinerary and an email the women sent to a colleague telling them the couple will leave a day early so Emhoff is back in the city for his daughter’s birthday.
All three women have chosen to stay anonymous.
Update: 25 October 2024
After the scathing report by Daily Mail, Doug Emhoff's spokesperson denied the claims and said that they are 'untrue'. As per CNN, they said:
any suggestion that he would or has ever hit a woman is false.
Following this statement, Doug Emhoff's ex-girlfriend decided to speak out about the incident herself. The woman, who has preferred to keep her identity under wraps, corroborated the claims of her friends. She claims he is portraying himself to be a feminist when the reality is not the same. She said:
What's frightening for a woman that's been on the other end of it, is watching this completely fabricated persona being portrayed.
He's being held out to be the antithesis of who he actually is. And that is utterly shocking.
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Sources used:
Daily Mail: Kamala Harris's husband Doug Emhoff 'forcefully slapped ex-girlfriend for flirting with another man' in booze-fueled assault after date to star-studded gala
New York Post: Doug Emhoff accused of ‘forcefully slapping’ NYC girlfriend for flirting with another man at ritzy gala in 2012: report
The Guardian: Doug Emhoff’s former girlfriend alleges he slapped her during argument in 2012
