Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff live separate lives as their careers pull them in different directions
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff have not appeared together publicly for months as the former vice president and former second gentleman continue to spend much of their time on separate professional commitments.
Emhoff was notably absent from much of Harris’ 33-city book tour, while Harris did not attend a Los Angeles event last week where her husband was honored with a humanitarian award.
New $8 million Malibu home raises questions
According to the Daily Mail, the discussion surrounding the couple’s public absence grew louder after they purchased an $8 million Malibu property last December.
According to sources who spoke to the outlet, however, the coastal home was purchased primarily because of security considerations following President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke Harris’ Secret Service protection in September of last year.
“Her house in Brentwood is right on the curb, which made it harder to protect,” one insider explained of the previous property. “The new house is more secluded and is well off the road, which makes it easier to secure.”
The Malibu residence, which the couple owns in addition to their Brentwood property located roughly 15 miles away, features four bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The clifftop home overlooks the Pacific Ocean and sits at the end of a long, winding driveway.
Despite not appearing together at as many public events as they once did, Harris and Emhoff continue to feature prominently on each other’s social media. Over Easter, the pair shared photographs celebrating the holiday at their new Malibu home.
Before the Easter photographs, the last images of the pair together surfaced in March when Emhoff posted a photo of the two preparing to watch the Academy Awards.
Prior to that, Harris marked Valentine’s Day by sharing a video of Emhoff attending one of her book signings. “Happy Valentine’s Day to my husband, who shows up for me every step of the way. I love you so very much, Dougie,” she wrote alongside the post.
Both Harris and Emhoff, now 61, have largely stayed out of the spotlight since Harris’ presidential campaign ended with a decisive defeat to Trump in November 2024.
Separate priorities after White House race
Since leaving office, the couple’s professional lives have notably moved in different directions.
Emhoff has returned to private practice and now serves as a partner at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, dividing his time between the firm’s Los Angeles and New York offices.
Harris, meanwhile, spent time considering a run for California governor before ultimately deciding against entering the race.
She instead completed her book, '107 Days', which details her short-lived presidential campaign after former President Joe Biden withdrew from the race following his alarming debate performance in June 2024, leaving Harris with limited time to mount a national campaign.
Last week highlighted the couple’s diverging schedules.
While Emhoff received a humanitarian award from the Inner City Law Center during a high-profile luncheon in downtown Los Angeles, Harris was not in attendance.
According to sources, she spent that same week in Tennessee campaigning for State Representative Justin Pearson, who is running for US Congress.
The former second gentleman has also recently been spending time with his daughter, Ella Emhoff, 27, who lives in New York and surprised him with a visit to his Los Angeles office.
