An ABC News profile on Willie Brown, the then mayor of San Francisco, has resurfaced, capturing the moment a young Kamala Harris is questioned by reporters while out with her lover, 31 years her senior.
The 1995 special report by Dianne Sawyer shows Democrat Brown as a "rogue" politician "notorious for his flamboyant lifestyle, flashy clothes, fancy parties," and "fine women," with Harris appearing in the footage. In the viral clip circulating just hours before her first debate against Donald Trump, a reporter asks Harris, "Are you his daughter?" The footage, which is also being aired on ABC, shows the public's curiosity about her relationship with Brown at the time.
Kamala's Old Lover
An uncomfortable Harris with her trademark laugh replies, No, I'm not." Brown was 60 and Harris was 29 when they began their dating. The clip, which has since gone viral, was first re-shared by @EndWokeness on X.
Harris had a spate of relationships over the years and Brown certainly is the most prominent figure among all. Their relationship that started in the 1990s has often drawn media attention and critics have even at times accused her of getting benefited in her career out of the relationship.
Harris dated Brown until 1996 when he was elected the Mayor of San Francisco. Curiosity started building around Harris' past affairs just a few days back after Brown wrote and op-ed about their past relationship headlined, "Willie Brown: Sure, I dated Kamala Harris. So what?" in The New York Post.
The 90-year-old veteran politician spilled the beans admitting that he dated Harris and she made career gains out of that. "Yes, we dated. It was more than 20 years ago. Yes, I may have influenced her career by appointing her to two state commissions when I was Assembly speaker," he wrote.
Brown also said he had helped scores of politicians over the years to shape a career. However, he also wrote, "The difference is that Harris is the only one who, after I helped her, sent word that I would be indicted if I 'so much as jaywalked' while she was D.A."
Harris' Illicit Affairs
In fact, Brown was still married to his wife at that time but since the relationship was estranged, his affair with Harris was more an open secret. Harris reportedly was also gifted a BMW by Brown. He appointed her to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and then to the Medical Assistance Commission.
Harris would earn a whopping $400,000 from her positions there over a period of five years.
Harris' "long affair" with Brown got over in 1995. With the turn of the millennium, Harris once again drew attention, this time after being spotted with talk show host Montel Williams.
Harris was first photographed with Williams along with his daughter in 2001 at the red carpet of Eighth Annual Race to Erase MS in Los Angeles, according to Inside Edition. Williams too had admitted to dating Harris.
He had written on Twitter, "Kamala Harris and I briefly dated about 20 years ago when we were both single. So what? I have great respect for Sen. Harris."
After dating several high-profile figures, Harris finally married Douglas Emhoff in 2014 after dating him for nearly a year.
Emhoff too is equally high profile and is an entertainment attorney. He's a partner with the firm DL Piper. Harris met Emhoff when she was the Attorney General of California.
Emhoff's two children from his past marriage lovingly call Harris "Momala". That said, Harris' affair with Brown, which ended more than two decades ago, has time and again drawn media scrutiny.
