- Ruby Rippey, a former aide, criticized Gavin Newsom’s characterization of their affair in his memoir, stating it minimizes their monthslong relationship.
- In his memoir, Newsom spends less than a page recounting the affair, calling it the ’stupidest and also briefest of affairs.’
- Rippey stated she was the one who informed her husband about the affair, not Newsom, highlighting a significant detail in her account.
- After the affair became public in early 2007, Newsom expressed remorse, stating that ’everything you’ve heard and read is true and I am deeply sorry about that.’
- Rippey acknowledged that both she and Newsom indicated that alcohol played a role in the affair, and she is now 20 years sober.
- Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, stated that the governor acknowledged his role and publicly apologized nearly two decades ago.
- Rippey denied that the affair was coerced, stating that ’claiming responsibility felt like the last form of agency I had’ as the #MeToo movement emerged.
- Rippey described feeling ’the mayor looking at me’ during a dinner in 2004, indicating the power dynamics at play.
- Kamala Harris advised Rippey to pause before speaking out about the affair, which she later regarded as the best advice she received.
- Siebel Newsom, Newsom’s then-girlfriend and now wife, previously stated that ’The woman is the culprit’ in relation to the affair.
Ruby Rippey, a former aide to California Governor Gavin Newsom, has publicly criticized his memoir for trivializing their affair, which he described as the 'stupidest and also briefest.' In her recent Vanity Fair essay, Rippey provided a detailed account of their months-long relationship, emphasizing her agency in the situation.12345678910111213
Rippey stated, “For my former boss, it is a footnote in a longer arc of ascent; for me, it is the fracture that split my life into before and after.” She revealed that she was the one who informed her husband about the affair, countering Newsom's narrative. “That detail — subtle but significant — is the one that stays with me,” she wrote.
The affair, which occurred while Newsom was mayor of San Francisco, was publicly acknowledged by him in 2007 when he stated, “everything you’ve heard and read is true and I am deeply sorry about that.” Both Rippey and Newsom have admitted that alcohol played a role in their relationship, with Rippey now being 20 years sober. She also mentioned receiving advice from then-District Attorney Kamala Harris to pause and reflect during the pressure to speak out about the incident.
Rippey’s essay sheds light on the complexities of their relationship, contrasting Newsom's brief mention in his memoir with her profound personal experience, highlighting the impact of the affair on her life.
“Rippey stated she was the one who informed her husband about the affair, emphasizing a significant detail in her account. She also noted that both she and Newsom acknowledged alcohol's role in the affair, and she is now 20 years sober.”
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