Who Are Ella Emhoff and Cole Emhoff? Everything to Know About Vice President Kamala Harris’ Step-Kids

Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid may not have ended in victory.

But despite her loss to projected President-elect Donald Trump, the story of Harris and her family—including her husband Doug Emhoff and stepchildren Cole Emhoff and Ella Emhoff—captured the hearts of many.

And though she won’t be president, she still holds a special title: “Momala.”

“It is one of my favorite titles, being Momala,” she told People in 2023. “It’s actually much more of a common experience than I think we actually talk about, which is co-parenting. We don’t really use the term stepparent but participating in raising a child that you love because that child is your own in every way that is important. So it’s a name the kids gave me, and I wear it proudly.”

She continued, “And I feel very blessed that we also have a very modern family, in that we all take joy in the growth of our family and the way we support each other.”

But just who are Cole and Ella? Here’s everything to know.

Who are Cole Emhoff and Ella Emhoff’s parents?

While Cole and Emma call Harris their “Momala,” they were born to Doug and his ex-wife Kerstin Emhoff. And though the pair split in 2008 after 16 years together, the Emhoffs and Harris prioritize keeping their family unit strong.

"We have our family by blood, and then we have our family by love, and I have both, and I consider it to be a real blessing,” Harris told Call Her Daddy’s Alex Cooper in October. “We have a very modern family. My husband's ex-wife is a friend of mine."

How old are Cole Emhoff and Ella Emhoff? 

Cole—named after jazz musician John Coltrane—is the eldest Emhoff child at 30. He graduated from Colorado College in 2017 with a degree in psychology.

Ella, who was starting high school when Harris entered their lives, is 25. She graduated from NYC’s Parsons School of Design in 2021 where she studied fine arts with a focus in apparel and textiles.

What do Cole Emhoff and Ella Emhoff do for work? 

After graduating from college, Cole worked at William Morris Endeavor talent agency, per his since-deleted LinkedIn profile, before becoming an executive assistant at Plan B Entertainment, Brad Pitt's production company. Also co-founded by Jennifer Aniston, Kristin Hahn and the late Brad Grey, Plan B Entertainment was behind films such as The Departed, 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight.

Ella has similarly put her creative talents to good use.

Much of the 25-year-old’s social media is dedicated to her impressive knit designs—showcasing everything from sweaters and hats to self-portraits and framed pieces. Back in 2021, Ella launched a limited collection of knitwear with Batsheva Hay, and in January 2022 she announced she’d be continuing to produce knitwear under her own name.

"I'm a one-woman show," the artist told Women’s Wear Daily at the time. "It's been an extreme labor of love."

And that’s not all. Ella is also a model, having been signed by IMG Models Worldwide in 2021—the same agency that represents models such as Gigi Hadid, Gisele Bündchen and Heidi Klum.

Since then, she’s modeled for brands such as Balenciaga, posed for Vanity Fair and walked in shows for Miu Miu, Proenza and more. 

Are Cole Emhoff and Ella Emhoff dating anyone?

For his part, Cole tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend Greenley Littlejohn in Oct. 2023. And while Cole and Greenley were each walked down the aisle by their mothers, Harris was also given a special role for the ceremony: officiant.

“It meant so much for so many reasons,” Harris told People of the moment. “It was so wonderful that the kids asked me to do it. For us, we think of marriage as being not just between these two people, but the coming together of families. So it was very much with that spirit that we all participated.”

Ella, meanwhile, previously dated GQ writer Sam Hine, having confirmed the relationship to Vanity Fair in the summer of 2021.

While the pair often attended fashion events and red carpets together, they reportedly parted ways in 2023.

What have Cole Emhoff and Ella Emhoff said about Kamala Harris?

Both of the Emhoff kids have been extremely supportive of their Momala’s political career.

On meeting Harris for the first time, Ella told Glamour, “It felt like we had known each other forever. And I think what was important was getting to know her as a person first—a person before a politician.”

It was a sentiment shared by her brother. “I met her and we had this amazing dinner,” Cole told the outlet. “And I realized like, ‘Oh, my God, Doug has met someone who is completely unique and totally special.’ I think for all of us, it was love at first sight.”

And their dad is certainly still feeling that same bliss.

"Doug and Kamala together are like almost vomit-inducingly cute and coupley," Cole admitted to Vanity Fair in 2021. "I'm like, When is this going to wear off?"

Not any time soon, according to Ella. 

"It's so insane. It's like the honeymoon phase forever," she noted. "Like, the rest of the world gets to see it on social media, but we live that."