Kamala Harris got her first taste of the limelight back in 2001 when she briefly dated popular talk show host Montel Williams.

The presidential hopeful, 54, was working for the San Francisco City Attorney's Office at the time, and a photo of her and Williams, 63, ran in Ebony and Jet after they attended a gala event in Los Angeles.

She is identified as Williams' girlfriend in both outlets.

Harris was also identified as the mother of Ashley in Jet, forcing the magazine to print a retraction and point out that Ashley's mother was actually Williams' first wife Rochelle.

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Date night: Kamala Harris and talks show host Montel Williams dated in 2001, and walked they red carpet together at the 8th Annual race to Erase MS Gala in Los Angeles (above)

Public servants: A photo of Williams, who had recently divorced his second wife, and Harris ran in both Ebony and Jet at the time, identifying the lawyer as his girlfriend

DailyMail.com obtained video from the event that shows Harris walking the red carpet while holding Williams' hand and then posing for photographers with her arm around his waist.

The couple were not alone either, with Williams' daughter Ashley also joining them at the 8th Annual race to Erase MS Gala.

Williams had just been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the time, learning in 1999 that he had the disease.

Williams was riding high as host and producer of the his own daytime talk show.

He had also recently finalized his divorce from second wife Grace Morley after eight years of marriage.

Harris and Williams had plenty in common, including a commitment to public service.

Williams served in both the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy.

He spent two years in the Marine Corps before enrolling at the US Naval Academy in 1976, where he was the first enlisted black marine to be selected for the prep school.

Power couple: Harris settled down in 2014 with Douglas Emhoff (couple above)

Williams spent close to a decade in the US Navy before being honorably discharged in 1989. He was then in the reserves for another seven years.

He was commissioned as a naval officer during that time, and would often be deployed on submarines during his time in the service.

Williams came under fire for comments he made about Republican Michele Bachmann back in 2009, which he later said were meant as a joke.

The relationship between the two was a brief one, and by the following year Williams was seen at events with a new lady love while Harris was preparing to launch her successful campaign for District Attorney of San Francisco.

Williams would go on to marry third wife Tara Folwer in 2006, while Harris settled down in 2014 with Douglas Emhoff.

Harris' office did not respond to a request for comment.