Tragic Details About Kamala Harris' Step-Daughter Ella Emhoff

Being the child of celebrities isn't always easy — Hollywood has no shortage of horror stories from young kids' encounters with paparazzi. Now imagine being the children of high-profile politicians in the current ultra-polarized political scenario. Ella Emhoff learned it the hard way. The older of Kamala Harris' two stepchildren from Doug Emhoff, Ella never expected to become a political figure. She grew up with a lawyer father and a film producer mother, after all.

Even after her father married Harris and she became "Momala" to Ella and Cole Emhoff, they still couldn't have anticipated what they would go on to experience. "Our blended family wasn't used to politics or the spotlight, but when Kamala became senator, we were all excited to step up — especially my dad. Then Kamala became vice president," Cole said at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. They were always excited for their stepmom and proud of what she stood for. But it certainly came with negative consequences.

Ella seems to have gotten the short end of the stick. She has had her looks scrutinized, her career path ridiculed, and her public appearances politicized. She has even had her reaction to the 2024 elections become subject to dangerous speculation about her mental health. But the unwanted spotlight over her also put her in dangerous situations, some of which forced her to put some career projects on hold for her protection and that of others around her. Ella is proud of her family's journey, but the road hasn't been smooth. 

Ella Emhoff has faced mental health issues for years, a fact that was politicized on the heels of Kamala Harris' electoral defeat. When images of her crying after the election hit the news (shown above with Doug Emhoff), online rumors claimed she had to be hospitalized after experiencing a so-called mental breakdown. "Not true. Also f*** you if you're out there spreading that," Ella wrote in an Instagram Story (via New York Post).

Ella argued that her demeanor at Harris' concession speech was more than justified and even expected. "There's nothing wrong with showing emotion and crying. Anyone who says there is probably needs a good cry," she continued. However, she also used the opportunity to address the challenges she faces and to avoid falling into the mental health taboo cycle. "I've struggled with my mental health my whole life and I'm not ashamed of it," she added.

The previous day, Ella had already described her mental state following Donald Trump's win, further defending that she was far from alone in her reaction. "I know we are all feeling a lot of emotions right now. That's normal, and it would be weird if we weren't," she penned in a Substack entry. Her mother, Kerstin Emhoff, felt compelled to jump to her daughter's defense following the fake news. "Ella is doing great and spending a lovely day with her mom! Having the ability to show your emotions is something we should all hope for," she tweeted.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Ella Emhoff has lived with chronic back pain most of her life as a result of being born with a tethered spine. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition — which can be either congenital or acquired — happens when the spinal cord and canal are attached, restricting blood flow that may lead to muscle weakness and other issues. "[It] caused my back to not properly lengthen when I was growing and caused a kyphosis (hunchback)," Emhoff explained in a 2024 Instagram Story (via Newsweek).

Emhoff's issues were severe enough to require intervention. "Was in and out of doctors and PT for most of my adolescence. Got lower back surgery grew a million inches and now deal with chronic pain," she shared. While discussing her lifelong health issues, she asked her followers to share their tips and tricks for managing chronic pain. She received more than 1,000 responses, prompting her to create a spreadsheet. The doc is in an Instagram highlight for others to benefit from. "Welcome to the big pain management list," she wrote.

The list includes several tried and true methods, like using an inversion table to relieve pressure and yoga practice, and some controversial approaches, like ketamine infusions. Her followers also suggested permanent lifestyle changes, including cutting out alcohol and sugar and sleeping 14 hours a day.

Ella Emhoff embraces her quirkiness. In fact, she turned it into a career. By blending high fashion with her artsy aesthetics, Emhoff snagged a modeling contract with IMG in 2021. Conservatives were enraged. How dare she embrace her unique beauty? Ever since her family was thrust into the spotlight, Emhoff has faced online abuse. "Ella Emhoff being a part of the first family has the potential to radicalize American parents. I'm for women living the lives they want, but this is pretty much the nightmare scenario for most people with a daughter," conservative commentator Richard Hanania wrote on X, previously known as Twitter, adding an unflattering photo of Emhoff in a camo cap with her mouth open.

The insults went into high gear every time Emhoff attended a fashion event. Some social media users seemed completely comfortable crossing every line. "Only in America can you be a cross eyed, very unattractive, masculine, almost alien looking 'model'-dressed in sponge," one X user wrote. "Just look at Ella Emhoff and believe anything is possible!" But Emhoff never asked for any of this. Modeling isn't what Emhoff envisioned doing for a living.

She's an artist and designer who specializes in knit paintings. "[Modeling] was not my plan. I sort of fell into it," she told Marie Claire in 2024. Emhoff was discovered after wearing a stunning Miu Miu coat to Joe Biden's inauguration. "As I started getting more modeling work, I saw it as a job I could use to push my knitwear forward financially."

Ella Emhoff harbors an all-encompassing passion for knitting. Besides using the medium in her artwork, she also wants to get others to fall in love with it. That's why she started teaching knitting through her Soft Hands Knitting Club in the East Village in 2023. However, her association with Kamala Harris impacted the continuity of her project. In August 2024, Emhoff had to stop holding her monthly knitting sessions due to security concerns ahead of the 2024 election.

"I just wanted to quickly come talk about Knit Club and address how it's moving forward. Um, unfortunately, with everything going on right now, I am unable to conduct them, just to protect myself and other club members," she announced in an Instagram video. "The smartest thing is to just hold off until things calm down." But she promised her followers that this was not the end of the Soft Hands Knitting Club and that she would continue to improve on it until she could resume teaching.

"I'm going to keep working on ways to make it more accessible and keep building it while I'm not able to properly teach and host these," she said. The club was on pause for a little more than half a year. In March, Emhoff shared she was once again opening for business. "Hands Knit Club is officially back!!!!!" she announced on Instagram, adding: "I can't even describe how excited I am to have the club back." 

The months before the presidential election were turbulent ones for Ella Emhoff. In July 2024, she had to be rushed to safety when a New York City resident confronted her Secret Service detail. Emhoff had been having lunch in a Tribeca restaurant when police arrested Harry Heymann, a man who lived in the neighborhood. According to the New York Post, Heymann was most likely unaware that the plainclothes individuals were Secret Service agents or that they were protecting Kamala Harris' stepdaughter.

His issue wasn't with Emhoff or the then-vice president. He allegedly belonged to a group of activists who take issue with vehicles obscuring their license plates to park anywhere and avoid traffic enforcement, fines, and tolls. Heymann was accused of tampering with the license plate covers in protest. "An individual approached two United States Secret Service vehicles parked in lower Manhattan and, without provocation, caused damage to the rear license plate area of both," U.S. Secret Service spokesman James Byrne told CNN.

The plainclothes officers acted before the situation could escalate further. "Secret Service Agents quickly detained the individual until local authorities arrived and placed the individual into police custody," Byrne added. Despite the scary turn of events, Emhoff wasn't endangered. "At no point was any protectee in danger as a result of this incident," he emphasized.