It is one of those internet artifacts that refuses to die. Every few years, like clockwork, a grainy photo from the early 2000s resurfaces on social media. It shows a young, smiling Kamala Harris on a red carpet next to talk show legend Montel Williams. Usually, it’s posted with some sort of breathless "breaking news" caption, as if a decades-old date is a smoking gun for something scandalous.
Honestly, the reality is much more mundane than the conspiracy theories suggest. They dated. It was brief. It was 2001. And yet, here we are in 2026, still talking about it.
The Night at the Race to Erase MS Gala
Let's look at the facts. The photo that sends the internet into a tizzy every election cycle was taken on May 18, 2001. The event was the Eighth Annual Race to Erase MS gala at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California.
At the time, Montel Williams was at the height of his daytime TV fame. He had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis just two years prior, in 1999, so the event was deeply personal for him. Kamala Harris, on the other hand, wasn't a household name yet. She was a prosecutor working for the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office.
People often forget that there was a third person in those famous photos: Montel’s daughter, Ashley Williams. The three of them walked the red carpet together. It wasn't a secret. It wasn't a "side piece" situation, as some trolls have tried to claim. It was just a guy, his daughter, and his girlfriend attending a charity event.
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Why the Story Kept Growing
The internet has a way of turning a footnote into a novel. Because the relationship happened so long before Harris entered the national stage, some people felt like it was "hidden." It wasn't. It was just twenty years ago.
When Harris ran for president in 2019, the photos first went viral. Williams, who usually stays out of the fray, actually addressed it on Twitter (now X). He was pretty blunt about it. He confirmed they dated "briefly" when they were both single and basically asked the world, "So what?"
He even pointed out the double standard, wondering if anyone would care about a male candidate's dating history from two decades ago. He's got a point. You don't see people digging through the 20-year-old dating logs of every governor or senator with this much intensity.
Clearing Up the Misconceptions
Whenever this topic pops up, the misinformation machine goes into overdrive. You've probably seen the posts. Some claim she used the relationship to get ahead. Others try to link it to other celebrities to create a "network" of influence.
Let's break down what actually happened versus what the internet says happened:
- The "Diddy" Confusion: In recent years, some particularly confused corners of the web tried to claim the man in the photo wasn't Montel at all, but Sean "Diddy" Combs. It’s a bizarre claim because, well, they don't really look alike, and the photo is clearly credited to Montel Williams by every major news agency.
- The Timeline: They dated in 2001. For context, Harris didn't even become the District Attorney of San Francisco until 2004. The idea that a talk show host in Los Angeles was pulling the strings for a municipal legal career in San Francisco doesn't really hold water.
- The "Secret" Angle: Again, they were on a red carpet. If you're trying to hide a relationship, you don't stand in front of a wall of photographers at a high-profile gala.
Where Montel Williams Stands Now
So, what does Montel think of all this now? By 2024 and 2025, he seemed pretty fed up with the whole thing. When the photos resurfaced during the last election cycle, he didn't just ignore it—he fought back.
He was especially protective of his daughter, Ashley. Trolls had begun targeting her because she was in the original photos, and Montel made it clear that his kids were off-limits. He even called out platform owners for allowing "hateful content" and "misogynistic" attacks to stay up.
Interestingly, Williams hasn't always been a "lockstep" supporter. When Joe Biden first dropped out of the race in 2024, Montel initially expressed interest in Maryland Governor Wes Moore. However, he eventually retweeted Moore's endorsement of Harris. It’s the kind of nuanced political dance you'd expect from a veteran who has seen it all.
The E-E-A-T Perspective: Is This News?
From a journalistic standpoint, the "Montel-Kamala" story is a masterclass in how non-events become "events" through repetition. If you look at the archives of The San Francisco Chronicle or the Los Angeles Times from 2001, you won't find much about them. Why? Because it wasn't a big deal then. It only became "news" because of who she became later.
Political analysts often point to this as a "distraction tactic." If you can't argue with a candidate's policy or record, you go for the "character" attack. But dating a famous talk show host while you're both single isn't exactly a character flaw. It’s just... life.
Navigating the Noise
If you’re trying to separate fact from fiction in the world of political celebrity gossip, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Check the Source: If the "news" is coming from a meme with no link to a reputable archive, take it with a grain of salt.
- Look at the Dates: Relationships that ended 25 years ago rarely have any impact on modern policy decisions.
- Respect the Boundaries: Even public figures have a right to a past. Williams has been very vocal about the fact that his private life from 2001 should stay in 2001.
Honestly, the most interesting thing about this whole saga isn't the relationship itself—it’s how much it bothers people. It’s a tiny slice of history that tells us more about our current social media culture than it does about either person involved.
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If you're looking for real insight into Harris's career or Williams's advocacy work for MS, you're better off looking at their professional milestones. This red-carpet moment? It was just a night out that happened to be caught on film.
Next Steps for Verifying Info:
- Check the Getty Images archive for the "Race to Erase MS 2001" to see the full set of original, unedited photos.
- Review Montel Williams’s verified X (formerly Twitter) posts from 2019 and 2024 to see his direct responses to the rumors.
- Consult the San Francisco City Attorney's historical records to confirm Harris’s professional role during the 2001-2002 period.