Now that Kamala Harris has secured the position of U.S. vice president-elect, fans’ attentions have turned away from the election and towards other areas: like her dating life. On Nov. 13 — five days after the election results were announced — photos of Joe Biden’s VP running mate with famed talk show host Montel Williams at the 2001 Race to Erase MS event in Los Angeles went viral on Twitter!
In the throwback photos seen here, Kamala looked gorgeous in a satin champagne dress in the photos taken nearly two decades ago. Montel also pulled off a fashionable look in a very late ’90s/early 2000’s ensemble: black leather pants and an unbuttoned dress shirt that put the spotlight on his silver cross necklace.
This was long before Kamala was even a senator of California; at the time, she worked for the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. “The Fact that Kamala Dated Montel and it seems like no one remembers lol,” one fan tweeted, who had shared the old charity event photos. The pictures also showed the former couple with Montel’s daughter Ashley Williams, who is now 36 years old. Another fan tweeted, “Montel was it in the 90s. Kamala looks amazing.”
.@KamalaHarris and I briefly dated about 20 years ago when we were both single. So what? I have great respect for Sen. Harris. I have to wonder if the same stories about her dating history would have been written if she were a male candidate?
— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) August 7, 2019
This was no secret, though. Montel himself confirmed that they dated in Aug. 2019, although he didn’t sound too impressed with the public’s preoccupation with his ex’s past partners. “@KamalaHarris and I briefly dated about 20 years ago when we were both single. So what?,” the talk show host tweeted at the time. He continued, “I have great respect for Sen. Harris. I have to wonder if the same stories about her dating history would have been written if she were a male candidate?”
It’s not new and it’s not news.
I’m focused on something that actually matters – bringing a 29 year old Marine, @freetrevorreed home.
If you want to help, follow @freetrevorreed.
— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) November 13, 2020
Montel then retweeted the above message on the same day his throwback photos with Kamala resurfaced, writing, “It’s not new and it’s not news. I’m focused on something that actually matters – bringing a 29 year old Marine, @freetrevorreed home. If you want to help, follow @freetrevorreed.” Before Montel hosted The Montel Williams Talk Show between 1991-2008, he enlisted in the U.S. Marines right after graduating from high school in 1974.
Apparently Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris once dated that talk-show guy Montel Williams. (Hey, I still have that HealthMaster blender!) Cool. 😎 Don't let this distract you that we need to #FlipTheSenateVoteBlue on Jan 5th GA!
— Lisa "L" Johnverrell 🏳️🌈**FLIP THE SENATE GA** (@JohnverrellL) November 13, 2020
Other fans shared Montel’s mindset. “We remember we just focused on her career, her politics and her character. It’s shameful when a women accomplishes something and it leads us to discuss who she’s had in our bed… focus we have a black VP FEMALE let’s focus on her future not some man,” one such fan wrote.
Kamala went on to marry lawyer Doug Emhoff in 2014. Meanwhile, Montel has been married to his third wife, Tara Fowler, since 2007!
