Gavin Newsom’s former aide Ruby Rippey breaks silence on 2007 affair; Kamala Harris advised her to stay silent, California Governor responds through spokesperson
Two decades after a scandal that shook Democratic politics, Ruby Rippey, the former aide who had an affair with California Governor Gavin Newsom, has shared her side of the story for the first time.In a first-person essay published in Vanity Fair, Rippey reflected on the 2007 controversy involving Newsom, who was then the mayor of San Francisco, and the personal and political fallout that followed. Her essay comes as Newsom, 58, is being viewed as a potential contender for the 2028 US presidential race.Rippey, now 54, was working as the secretary to the San Francisco Commission on the Environment when the affair began. At the time, she was married to Alex Tourk, Newsom’s close friend and deputy chief of staff.
Gavin Newsom publicly admitted affair in 2007
The scandal became public in 2007 when Newsom appeared before reporters at San Francisco City Hall and acknowledged the affair.“Everything you’ve heard and read is true,” Newsom said at the time.Newsom later addressed the episode in his memoir Young Man in a Hurry, released in February, describing it as the “stupidest and also briefest of affairs.” He wrote that he eventually “came clean” to Tourk.However, Rippey challenged that version of events, saying the wording created an impression that Newsom was the one who revealed the truth to Tourk.“That detail—subtle but significant—is the one that stays with me,” Rippey wrote. “It reads—to me, at least—as a version of events that gives him credit for something I had already done.”She added that while the description may be “technically defensible”, it suggested that Newsom, rather than her, had taken the step of informing Tourk.
Rippey opens up about addiction and guilt
In her essay, Rippey said the affair happened during a difficult period in her life, which included struggles with alcoholism and cocaine use.She wrote that the relationship began after a City Hall colleague’s wedding in July 2005.“We meet and we drink. There is sex, but it isn’t the point. The point is proximity—to power, to being chosen, to feeling newly visible,” she wrote.Rippey said she has now been sober for 20 years and that her substance abuse eventually led to a rehabilitation programme in 2006. According to her account, it was during rehab that she wrote a letter to Newsom ending the affair.“When I return home from rehab nearly two months later, I try to resume life as a wife and mother,” she wrote, adding that Tourk continued working at City Hall without knowing what had happened.“For months, I say nothing. The silence settles into my body like a fever. Until one night I am no longer able to carry it,” she wrote.
Kamala Harris advised Rippey to stay silent
Rippey also recalled seeking advice about whether she should publicly address the controversy. She said then-California politician Kamala Harris advised her to wait before making any statement.“I tell her people are urging me to speak publicly,” Rippey wrote. “She listens, then says simply: ‘I wouldn’t say anything right now, Ruby. Just pause. More time will give you better perspective.'”Rippey described Harris’ advice as “the best advice” she received during the period.
Rippey rejects being portrayed only as a victim
Reflecting on the aftermath of the scandal and the later #MeToo movement, Rippey said she disagreed with narratives that completely removed her responsibility because she was a subordinate.She also recalled being criticised publicly at the time, including by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Newsom’s then-girlfriend and now-wife, who had called Rippey the “culprit” before later apologising.Addressing the broader discussion around power dynamics, Rippey wrote that two realities can exist at the same time.“Both things are true: I am responsible for what I did. Power does not distribute consequences evenly,” she wrote.
Gavin Newsom responds through spokesperson
A spokesperson for Gavin Newsom said the governor had already acknowledged his actions and apologised nearly two decades ago.“He addressed his role and publicly apologized nearly two decades ago when he was still mayor,” spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement.She added that Newsom has since focused on his family and serving Californians and “does not have anything further to add” out of respect for everyone involved.Following the scandal, Alex Tourk left Newsom’s reelection campaign and later founded Ground Floor Public Affairs, a firm that has represented companies including Lyft, Amazon and Goodwill.
