Newsom Affair Re-examined
Ruby Rippey Gibney offers new Vanity Fair details, challenging Gavin Newsom's affair narrative
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Key Points
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Rippey says she told her twelve-step group about the affair about a year after it began, challenging Newsom's memoir portrayal that he told her husband the truth and suggesting her own disclosure preceded any such acknowledgment.
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During a July 2005 wedding, Rippey wore a strapless white dress to a City Hall staffer’s nuptials, an outfit her mother disapproved of at the time.
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Rippey recounts the hotel encounter in which Newsom allegedly ripped several shirt buttons off his shirt, illustrating the intensity of the affair beyond brief encounters.
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Rippey describes persistent boundary-crossing during the affair—she would monitor Newsom’s calendar, show up at openings, and push for opportunities for him to notice her, including locations like his Russian Hill penthouse, a North Beach private room, and the W Hotel in Los Angeles.
Nearly two decades after a scandal nearly ended his political career, California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing fresh scrutiny. Ruby Rippey Gibney, his former San Francisco City Hall aide, broke her silence in a detailed essay, revealing new specifics about their affair that challenge the version Newsom laid out in his memoir, according to Newsweek and New York Post.
The renewed attention comes as Newsom is widely seen as a leading contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. His spokesperson said Newsom addressed this chapter long ago and has nothing further to add, New York Post reported.
A July 2005 Wedding Sparked the Affair
Rippey Gibney says the physical relationship with Newsom began after a City Hall staffer's wedding in July 2005. She wore a strapless white dress to the event — an outfit her mother disapproved of at the time, according to Daily Mail. After the wedding, the two ended up at a hotel, where she says Newsom ripped buttons off his shirt, a detail she uses to illustrate the intensity of what followed.
Rippey Gibney says the affair was not brief. She describes monitoring Newsom's calendar, showing up at public events, and seeking him out at locations including his Russian Hill penthouse, a North Beach private room, and the W Hotel in Los Angeles, Newsweek reported.
Rippey Challenges Newsom's Memoir Account
Newsom wrote about the affair in his memoir, framing it as a chapter he owned. But Rippey Gibney disputes his version of key facts. She says she told her twelve-step recovery group about the affair roughly a year after it began, according to New York Post. She questions whether Newsom actually informed her then-husband, Alex Tourk, about the truth before Tourk found out another way.
Tourk was one of Newsom's closest political allies at the time. The affair's exposure led Tourk to resign from Newsom's re-election campaign. Rippey Gibney says Newsom's public portrayal of events is not fully truthful, New York Post reported.
Kamala Harris Quietly Advised Rippey to Stay Silent
When the scandal first broke, Kamala Harris — then San Francisco's district attorney — reportedly advised Rippey to pause before speaking publicly. Newsweek noted the detail as a reminder of how deeply the episode touched the city's political world at the time. Harris and Newsom were prominent figures in the same tight Democratic circle.
Newsom publicly acknowledged the affair and apologized when the story first emerged. That rare public admission shaped early media coverage of his career. His camp has not responded in detail to Rippey Gibney's new Vanity Fair disclosures beyond saying the matter was addressed long ago, according to New York Post.
Old Scandal Resurfaces as 2028 Race Looms
Newsom is expected to run for president in 2028 after he terms out as California governor. Political observers see the Vanity Fair piece as a test of how he handles his past. His strategy appears to be owning the chapter fully rather than avoiding it, Daily Mail reported.
Rippey Gibney's essay adds texture and personal detail that Newsom's memoir did not include. Whether voters weigh the affair against his record as mayor and governor remains to be seen. But the story is no longer just his to tell, Newsweek noted.
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