Vice President Kamala Harris was once called a “childless cat lady” by Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance — a claim that the childfree community, her husband’s ex-wife, and even Jennifer Aniston have slammed as sexist.
It’s also just plain wrong. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee actually has two step-children thanks to her husband Doug Emhoff, whom she wed in 2014. Emhoff had two children, Ella and Cole Emhoff, with his first wife, Kerstin — and the pair affectionately refer to Harris as their “momala.”
“For over 10 years since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I,” Kerstin Emhoff told CNN. “I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.”
Here is what you need to know about Harris’s family.
Who is Ella Emhoff?
Ella Emhoff is a 25-year-old model, fashion designer and artist.
She graduated from New York’s Parsons School of Design in 2021.
That same year, she dazzled at Joe Biden’s inauguration — wearing a plaid Miu Miu coat — and weeks later signed a modeling contract with IMG.
Nicknamed the “First Daughter of Bushwick,” the arty area of Brooklyn where she reportedly lives, Ella has solidified her space in the art world.
The artist specializes in knitwear — posting Instagram videos of the creative process — and even founded Soft Hands Knit Club, teaching others her knitting skills in different spots around the city.
“Knitting and textile art in general has and always will be a therapeutic practice for me. I treat it as something to calm my anxiety,” she told Cultured magazine in 2023.
Ella has also dipped her toe into the political scene, appearing on the Biden-Harris campaign trail in 2020.
More recently, she agreed with pop star Charli XCX’s classification of her step-mom being “brat,” writing on her Instagram story: “@charli_xcx gets it.”
Ella also took a jab at Vance’s remarks about Harris being “childless.” She posted an Instagram story writing: “How can you be ‘childless’ when you have cutie pie kids like cole and I?” She added: “I love my three parents.”
Who is Cole Emhoff?
Harris’ oldest stepchild Cole, 30, spends more time out of the public eye than his younger sister.
Cole works in the entertainment industry, following in the footsteps of his mother who is a film producer. He reportedly works at Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B and has been involved with the films Minari and Father of the Bride, according to IMDb.
Cole married Greenley Littlejohn in November 2023 — a wedding that Harris officiated.
“It was so wonderful that the kids asked me to do it,” Harris told People at the time. “For us, we think of marriage as being not just between these two people, but the coming together of families. So it was very much with that spirit that we all participated.”
Littlejohn’s LinkedIn profile shows that she is a global product development manager at Brand ID, a role she has had since 2019, and is “inspired by garment design, functional supply chains, and environmental sustainability.”
Both Cole and Ella have joked about how Harris, the former California attorney general, has a tendency to “grill” their friends.
“I had to give the biggest warning ever when I wanted to have friends over for dinner,” Cole told Glamour in 2020.
“It became infamous! She would grill our friends on their life goals, their 10-year plan. If you don’t know, you’re out,” Ella added.
