Kamala Harris' Stepdaughter Ella Emhoff Slams 'Right-Wing Propaganda' After Revealing Antidepressant Medication 'Saved' Her Life — 'I Am Very Pro-SSRIs'
Ella Emhoff clarified her stance after conservatives seized on her past comments about SSRIs.
May 20 2026, Published 11:48 a.m. ET
Kamala Harris' stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, pushed back after conservative outlets seized on her past comments about antidepressants, insisting SSRIs "saved" her life, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The artist and fashion figure addressed the controversy in a recent Instagram video, claiming her remarks were turned into "right-wing propaganda."
Ella Says SSRIs 'Saved' Her Life
Kamala Harris' stepdaughter insisted antidepressants 'saved' her life amid online backlash.
Emhoff explained she fully supports antidepressants and only intended to discuss how difficult the process of coming off SSRIs can be for some patients, per HuffPost.
"I am very pro-SSRIs," she said in the clip. "They have saved my life 100%."
The 26-year-old stressed her original comments were never meant to discourage people from taking antidepressants, but rather to highlight the importance of understanding the withdrawal process.
"All I was trying to say in the video is that I didn't know how hard it was to get off of them or the actual process of getting off of them, which there is a very healthy way to do it," she added.
Deleted Video Sparked Conservative Backlash
Emhoff accused right-wing outlets of turning her mental health comments into 'propaganda.'
The backlash stemmed from a now-deleted video Emhoff originally posted in December 2025, where she discussed listening to a podcast about the "over-prescription" of SSRIs.
At the time, she said she felt conversations surrounding withdrawal symptoms and the process of stopping antidepressants were not discussed enough publicly.
In the original clip, Emhoff reflected on how difficult the experience can be for some users, saying people sometimes "kind of break down" after coming off the medication.
She also noted that she became interested in the subject after listening to a podcast discussing how frequently SSRIs are prescribed.
Conservative outlets, like Evie Magazine and the New York Post, later amplified the comments, with some suggesting Emhoff was aligning herself with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his criticism of antidepressant use.
RFK Jr.'s Comments on Antidepressants Resurface
The controversy erupted after Emhoff discussed the difficulties of coming off SSRIs.
The renewed attention comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding Kennedy's remarks about SSRIs and mental health medication.
Earlier this month, RFK Jr. criticized what he called America's "over-medicalization" during a mental health summit hosted by the MAHA Institute, arguing that too many people are prescribed SSRIs without fully understanding the risks.
He also repeated his controversial claim that SSRIs are more addictive than heroin — a statement many doctors and medical experts have publicly rejected.
Emhoff Opens Up About Mental Health Struggles
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RFK Jr.'s criticism of antidepressants resurfaced as Emhoff defended the medication publicly.
Emhoff has previously been candid about her mental health journey, revealing she has taken SSRIs for roughly a decade and has no plans to stop using them.
Following Harris' 2024 election loss to Donald Trump, Emhoff also addressed online rumors claiming she suffered a mental breakdown.
"I've struggled with my mental health my whole life, and I'm not ashamed of it," she said.
