An exclusive story in Saturday’s Daily Mail revealed that Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, had an affair with a woman who worked both as a teacher at his kids’ school and as a nanny for the family during his first marriage, and that the affair resulted in a pregnancy. The marriage ended when Emhoff’s first wife, Kersten, discovered the affair in May 2009.
From the Daily Mail:
The woman, Najen Naylor, 47, did not deny the story when approached by DailyMail.com at her home in the New York millionaires’ playground, The Hamptons.
She would not comment, except to say, ‘I’m kind of freaked out right now.’
A close friend with direct knowledge of the affair and pregnancy told DailyMail.com that Naylor did not keep the child – though her social media shows a video of a mysterious baby girl named Brook in 2009, the year the baby would have been born.
Another friend, Stacey Brooks, who mothered twin boys around the same time as Naylor was expecting, also did not deny any of the claims – but said she would not divulge further information without Naylor’s permission.
Naylor now lives in Hampton Bays, on New York’s Long Island, and works for Audible. According to the Daily Mail report, Naylor lost her job at The Willows, the private school in Culver City attended by Cole and Ella Emhoff:
One source claimed that Emhoff had a financial settlement with Naylor, and that she left her school job due to the hushed-up scandal.
It’s unclear whether Naylor left her school job voluntarily, or was pushed out due to the scandal, which wasn’t a secret among other parents at The Willows:
A mother who sent her children to the school before 2009 said she was aware of the affair, and though she was disgusted by Emhoff, she only had positive words for Naylor, who had taught her children and nannied them on family vacations.
‘She was a lovely person, a great teacher to my kids,’ the mother, who asked to remain anonymous, told DailyMail.com.
Another friend with intimate knowledge of the scandal, confirmed the affair with Emhoff, but told DailyMail.com that Naylor did not keep the baby.
While the sources listed by Daily Mail say that Naylor did not keep the baby, it wasn’t clear whether they meant that Naylor had an abortion or that the baby was born and then given up for adoption. Reporters with Daily Mail searched Los Angeles birth records for 2008 and 2009 and were unable to find a record for a Brook Naylor in those years, or any child born in that time frame with the last name Emhoff. It’s not known whether the baby would have been born in Los Angeles County or elsewhere if Naylor carried to term.
While Emhoff’s office didn’t return requests for comment from Daily Mail, after the story was published a statement was sent to CNN seeming to admit to the affair, but without reference to the pregnancy or what happened to the child.
“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.”
Likewise, Kersten Emhoff issued a statement ignoring
“Doug and I decided to end our marriage for a variety of reasons, many years ago. 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.”
It’s odd that Harris and Emhoff didn’t simply ignore the story and have surrogates dismiss it as something from a gossip rag, or blame it on “MAGA crazies.” Usually that only happens when there is something more to a story, and they don’t want that to get out. By tacitly admitting the affair yet being silent about the child it produced, are they hoping the story is labeled as a terrible invasion of privacy and the politics of personal destruction?
Already Harris’ surrogates are asking why it matters that Harris’ husband had an affair during a marriage before he met her and simply ignoring the part about the resulting pregnancy, and also ignoring the fact that as one of Naylor’s employers Emhoff was in a position of power over her and that the affair could absolutely be termed sexual harassment, and that Naylor lost her other job as a result of the affair – and possibly due to the influence of Doug and/or Kersten Emhoff. Those are the questions that need to be asked of Team Kamala.
