Gavin Newsom Downplayed Affair With Top Aide's Wife, She Asserts In Tell-All

Jul 29, 2026 03:39 AM - 4 hours ago 2

Topline

The erstwhile adjutant to then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom who had an matter pinch him while she was joined to 1 of his apical staffers accused Newsom downplayed the seriousness of their relationship—and Kamala Harris gave her immoderate of the champion proposal she received astatine the time, she wrote for Vanity Fair connected Tuesday.

Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a property convention for a measure signing of lodging affordability reforms arena successful Oakland, California, United States connected July 13, 2026. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Anadolu via Getty Images

Key Facts

Ruby Rippey, speaking publically for the first clip astir her matter pinch Newsom, disputed Newsom’s characterization of their narration arsenic “the stupidest and besides briefest of affairs,” which he made successful his caller memoir published earlier this year.

Rippey, recounting the narration that occurred successful precocious 2005, wrote “we meet and we drink. There is sex, but it isn’t the point. The constituent is proximitiy—to power, to being chosen . . . it isn’t love. It isn’t romance. It’s intoxication.”

For Newsom, she wrote, the narration “is a footnote successful a longer arc of ascent,” but for her, “it is the fracture that divided my life into earlier and after.”

She besides said Newsom’s declare that “he was the 1 who ‘came clean’ to” her hubby astatine the time, “reads—to me, astatine least—as a type of events that gives him in installments for thing I had already done. Technically defensible, perhaps, but 1 that leaves the unmistakable belief that he, not I, was the 1 who told Alex the truth.”

Rippey said the “best advice” she received astatine the clip was from then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, whom she knew from moving successful erstwhile San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown Jr.’s administration, who advised her not to speak publically astir the matter aft a patient offered her an beforehand for a memoir.

Tangent

Harris reportedly dated Brown successful the 1990s aft his separation from his woman and while he was authorities assembly speaker and she was adjunct territory attorney, and critics of Harris person claimed she utilized the narration to boost her career. Brown acknowledged they dated and that he helped her career, on pinch those of different California Democrats, successful a 2019 San Francisco Chronicle column titled, “Sure, I dated Kamala Harris. So what?” Harris has sought to region herself from Brown, describing him arsenic an “albatross hanging astir my cervix . . . let’s please move on” to SF Weekly successful 2003, erstwhile she was moving for San Francisco territory attorney.

Crucial Quote

A spokesperson for Newsom, Izzy Gardon, told multiple outlets successful consequence to Rippey’s essay, “The politician acknowledged his domiciled and publically apologized for his behaviour astir 2 decades agone erstwhile he was still mayor. In the clip since, he met his wife, started a family and has focused connected serving Californians. He addressed this section of his life, including successful his memoir, and retired of respect for everyone involved, does not person thing further to add.”

What To Watch For

Newsom and Harris are some considered imaginable candidates for the 2028 Democratic statesmanlike nomination. Harris said successful April she “might” tally and is “thinking astir it.” Newsom has besides acknowledged he’s considering it, but said earlier this month, “fate will find that.” He said successful March he would reassess a imaginable tally aft this year’s midterm elections.

Key Background

Rippey, marking 20 years of sobriety, elaborate really the matter ruined her matrimony but yet forced her into rehab for her alcoholism. Newsom admitted the matter publically aft Rippey’s then-husband, Newsom’s run head and friend Alex Tourk, confronted Newsom soon aft Rippey, Newsom’s appointments secretary, confessed to the affair. Newsom, who was successful the mediate of a divorcement pinch his first wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, astatine the time, held a property convention successful which he discussed the affair, telling reporters, “everything you’ve heard and publication is existent . . . I’ve wounded personification I attraction profoundly about, Alex Tourk, and that is thing I person to unrecorded with.” Rippey, who was 33 astatine the time, wrote that she was excessively drunk to retrieve immoderate of her encounters pinch Newsom, past 38, but that they were consensual and typically initiated by her. She said the Me Too activity co-opted her communicative and made her retired to beryllium a victim, but made her recognize that though she was not coerced, location was a powerfulness move astatine play: “Power does not request to coerce,” she wrote. “It only needs to exist. The work to clasp the statement belongs to the 1 who holds it. That didn’t happen.” Newsom joined his existent wife, Jennifer Siebel, successful 2008. Rippey is besides remarried.