What Kamala Harris' Exes Have Said About Her

In an ideal world, we'd judge politicians solely on their credentials and accomplishments. But in reality, their personal lives are often put under a microscope, with every juicy detail getting dissected by the media and the public. Kamala Harris is no exception. But while some might expect her exes to spill some dirt about the vice president, they've actually done the opposite — one even endorsed her for the 2024 presidential election (kind of).

Everyone knows Harris has been happily married to Douglas Emhoff, an entertainment attorney, since 2014. They met on a blind date a year before they tied the knot, and the rest is history. While they keep their relationship relatively private, Emhoff, who also made history as the first-ever second gentleman, isn't shy about gushing over his wife. "I know her about the best of anyone, and I just want to make sure everyone in America knows the Kamala Harris that I know," he shared in an appearance on Slate's "A Word" podcast. "The one you're seeing, that leader, but also the mother, the auntie, the one who loves cooking us Sunday dinner. She's funny, she's fun. We've got to make sure that people know what they're getting: a real, true leader who's focused on them and their issues, and not themselves, which is what the former guy is all about."

As for her past relationships, they're refreshingly drama-free. While her exes haven't waxed poetic about her like Emhoff, they're not exactly throwing shade either.

Kamala Harris' relationship with Willie Brown has sparked plenty of gossip over the years. Back in 1994, when Harris was 29, she dated the then-60-year-old Speaker of the California State Assembly, raising eyebrows everywhere. After expressing her intent to run for president, critics began comparing this relationship to Donald Trump's alleged affair with Stormy Daniels, claiming that Harris, too, was involved in an extramarital relationship.

Reuters debunked this claim, pointing out that Brown had been separated from his wife for over a decade before he started dating Harris, though they weren't officially divorced. Their relationship wasn't exactly a secret, either, and Brown didn't become San Francisco mayor until after they split. Brown, though, admitted in a 2019 San Francisco Chronicle op-ed that he helped boost Harris' career. "Yes, we dated. It was more than 20 years ago. Yes, I may have influenced her career by appointing her to two state commissions when I was Assembly speaker," he wrote. But he also noted he'd helped other big names like Nancy Pelosi, Gavin Newsom, and the late Dianne Feinstein.

As for Harris, she's made it clear she's not riding on Brown's coattails, especially when his former leadership faced corruption allegations. "I refuse to design my campaign around criticizing Willie Brown for the sake of appearing to be independent when I have no doubt that I am independent of him," she told SF Weekly in 2003. "His career is over; I will be alive and kicking for the next 40 years. I do not owe him a thing."

Former talk show host Montel Williams has had it with people dredging up his past with Kamala Harris, using their brief fling to throw shade at the vice president. The two dated for a hot minute in the early 2000s, even appearing on the red carpet together, but they mostly kept their romance low-key. In 2019, seemingly fed up with the constant media noise, Williams took to X (formerly Twitter) to shut down the haters. "@KamalaHarris and I briefly dated about 20 years ago when we were both single," he wrote in a post in 2019. "So what? I have great respect for Sen. Harris. I have to wonder if the same stories about her dating history would have been written if she were a male candidate?"

Williams didn't just stop there. He even threw his weight behind Harris for the 2024 presidential election, albeit indirectly. He retweeted a post from Governor Wes Moore, which stated, "Today, I am proud to voice my full spoort [sic] and offer my full endorsement to Vice President @KamalaHarris to be the Democratic Nominee for President of the United States. "Just to make sure everyone got the message, he followed up with another tweet: "Reminding folks I RT'd this," making it clear he's in her corner and done with the nonsense.