People praise Kamala Harris’s ‘blended’ family after Doug Emhoff’s ex-wife attends inauguration

Vice President Kamala Harris’s “blended” family has been the subject of praise after her husband Doug Emhoff’s ex-wife Kerstin Emhoff proudly attended the inauguration.

Ms Emhoff first announced she was in the nation’s capital for the inauguration on Tuesday, when she shared a photo of herself and her two children, Cole, 26, and Ella, 22, whom she shares with Mr Emhoff, standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

“Here we go!” she captioned the photo.

On Wednesday, Ms Emhoff continued to show her support for the new administration by sharing scenes from Inauguration Day, including one of herself standing at the steps of the Capitol with the caption: “This is real. So excited behind the mask!”

In another photo at the Capitol, which showed the crowd of attendees behind her, Ms Emhoff wrote: “Wow,” before capturing the moment that Mr Emhoff and Ms Harris walked onto the Capitol stage on her Instagram Stories.

The CEO of production company Prettybird, who divorced from Mr Emhoff in 2008, also shared proud photos of her children, including one of Cole and Ella walking onto the Capitol stage, as well the positive reactions garnered by her daughter’s bedazzled Miu Miu coat.

“Ella made quite a splash today!” Ms Emhoff captioned a photo of the two of them, while tagging all of the designers they wore to the inauguration.

After Ms Harris and President Joe Biden were officially sworn in, Ms Emhoff retweeted congratulatory tweets directed at the new administration, before later sharing a video to Instagram of the fireworks display during Katy Perry’s performance on inauguration night with the caption: “Celebration! Biden/Harris fireworks.”

On social media, the supportive display was met with admiration from Ms Emhoff’s followers, who applauded the family’s relationship.

“I love all y’all’s relationships. This is the American family representation we need,” one person commented.

Another said: “Your #modernfamily speaks volumes and fills my heart. I cannot convey that enough!! Strong women, you two!!!”

Others took the opportunity to again compliment Ella’s coat, with someone else writing: “So glad you are there! You look great, and Ella’s coat is fabulous!”

Ms Harris previously opened up about the positive relationship she has with the mother of her stepchildren in a 2019 essay for Elle, in which referred to the 52-year-old as an “incredible mother”.

“To know Cole and Ella is to know that their mother Kerstin is an incredible mother. Kerstin and I hit it off ourselves and are dear friends,” the vice president wrote. “She and I became a duo of cheerleaders in the bleachers at Ella’s swim meets and basketball games, often to Ella’s embarrassment. We sometimes joke that our modern family is almost a little too functional.”