Doug Emhoff, husband of Kamala Harris, admits he was unfaithful in his previous marriage

"During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions," Kamala Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, wrote in response to reports that he had been unfaithful in his first marriage, to Kerstin Emhoff. The brief statement, obtained exclusively by CNN, continues, "I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side."

This weekend's acknowledgement follows a article from The Daily Mail claiming Emhoff had an extramarital affair with an employee, the nanny who looked after his daughter Ella, who at the time was around 10 years old.

According to The Daily Mail, the nanny, Najen Naylor, became pregnant as a product of the relationship with Emhoff. A person close to Naylor told the same newspaper that Naylor did not keep the child, although they did not specify what that meant. A video on social media, however, showed her with a baby named Brook the same year the child should have been born.

Neither Naylor nor Emhoff confirmed the pregnancy rumors. Sources quoted by various outlets give conflicting stories. While some say she was never pregnant, others claim she was, although they do not go so far as to specify what happened next. Most of them refused to testify.

After the affair, Naylor reportedly quit her job at The Willows private school, which Harris' now-partner's children attended. Naylor worked there and also took care of the two children, Ella and Cole, after school hours. According to a source quoted by the Daily Mail, Naylor reached a financial agreement with Emhoff.

According to the same newspaper, the affair led to the separation of the couple. Kerstin Emhoff, however, maintained in a statement that the marriage had ended for "a variety of reasons. … 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 added.

The Emhoffs separated in 2009. Doug married Harris in 2014.

Concern in the Harris campaign?

According to a source cited by CNN, Biden's campaign team knew about the affair when weighing Harris as one of the possible vice presidents. Harris, the same source assures, also knew about it.

For the moment, the Harris campaign has declined to comment. The vice president has also declined to comment.

The news has become generated serious buzz in recent hours, so it could raise concern among Democratic ranks. According to The New York Post, it is generating serious concerns in the Democratic campaign, which felt some relief after improving upon Biden's performance in the polls.

Emhoff, moreover, has become a central figure in the Democrat's campaign, actively participating in rallies and fundraising events alone or accompanying the vice president.