Dough Emhoff labels allegations claiming he violently 'slapped' his ex-GF as 'false'
WASHINGTON, DC: Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, has denied recent allegations that he slapped his former girlfriend during an incident at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012 as "false."
Emhoff, as per a report, struck the woman, a “successful New York attorney” so hard that she "spun around," over falsely suspecting her of flirting with a valet when they were drunk.
Doug Emhoff's spokesperson denies allegations from three of his ex-GF's friends
Daily Mail reported that three friends of the unnamed woman alleged Doug Emhoff slapped his then-girlfriend while they waited in a valet line after a Cannes Film Festival event.
One friend said she called her “sobbing” after the incident. “It was hard to hear her. She told me she was with a guy and he hit her.”
The friend added, “It was very clear what she was telling me. 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.”
Another friend said Emhoff may have struck his girlfriend after she placed her hand on a valet employee’s shoulder following a night of drinking.
The friend said, “I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know whether to call the French police. I couldn’t get ahold of her after calling back.”
Emhoff's spokesperson refuted the story, saying it is entirely untrue.
“This report is untrue,” the spokesperson of the Second Gentleman of the US told Semafor, adding, “Any suggestion that he would or ever hit a woman is false.”
Doug Emhoff and his ex-girlfriend immediately broke up after the slapping incident
The third friend reportedly learned about the alleged incident in 2018 when Kamala Harris was gaining media attention for grilling Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh over assault allegations during a Senate hearing.
The friends stated that after the incident, Emhoff’s shocked ex-girlfriend slapped him back twice, and the two broke up immediately after three months of togetherness.
Emhoff and Harris began dating in 2013, a year after the incident, and got married in 2014, as per New York Post.
Doug Emhoff's feminist stance amid assault allegations on ex-GF and marriage affairs
The allegations against Doug Emhoff come two months after the Second Gentleman of the US admitted to having an affair during his first marriage.
“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions. I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side," Emhoff told CNN in an interview.
Kerstin Emhoff also issued a statement supporting her ex-husband, noting they remain close as co-parents.
"He is a great father to our kids, continues to be a great friend to me and I am really proud of the warm and supportive blended family Doug, Kamala, and I have built together," she said.
Emhoff, who has gained recognition for his public support of women, recently spoke about his commitment to feminism.
During an interview on MSNBC, he said, “I’ve always been like this. To me, it’s the right thing to do, support women."
