Ella Emhoff uploaded a series of photos from her recent Japan trip to Instagram, captioned "Long overdue Japan photo roundup." The carousel includes various shots from her travels, but the one that stands out is the hot tub image, along with other hot tub pictures from a slightly earlier post. The most recent has been shared and discussed across social media.
The 26-year-old model and artist has a following for her fashion choices and occasional glimpses into her life as Harris' stepdaughter.
Emhoff has posted similar personal content in the past, but this one has circulated more due to the timing and the scene. Comments on the post range from compliments on her confidence, to remarks about the family connection, to mocking her. Some have focused on her tattoos and the overall aesthetic, while others have simply shared the image for what they call its visual appeal.
The post remains a fairly standard vacation update, but the hot tub shots have become the main talking point online, with screenshots and reposts spreading quickly.
She grew up in a politically active Democratic family, campaigned against California's Proposition 8 (anti-same-sex marriage amendment) as a teen, and has consistently supported liberal causes.
She is openly liberal/left-leaning. She has advocated for LGBTQ+ rights (especially transgender rights), supported Black transgender initiative, and raised money for Gaza relief through the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund (which drew controversy for alleged ties to groups linked to Hamas/Oct 7). She endorsed socialist NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (DSA member) in 2025. She has spoken about "climate anxiety" in a TikTok video, expressing disgust at the state of the world and environmental concerns.
During the 2024 election, she tried to defend Harris against JD Vance's "childless cat ladies" comment on Instagram, saying she loves her “three parents" (Doug, Kerstin Emhoff, Harris).
- Kamala Harris didn't even come into her life until she was 15 years old.