Ruby Rippey Details Affair with Gavin Newsom in Vanity Fair Essay
Two Decades Later, Differing Accounts Emerge on Disclosure and Aftermath
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Callum Smith
Ruby Rippey has published an essay in Vanity Fair, offering her account of an affair with Gavin Newsom that occurred over two decades ago when he served as San Francisco's mayor.
Gavin Newsom, in his forthcoming book, asserts he 'came clean' to Alex Tourk, Ruby Rippey's then-husband, regarding their affair. This claim, however, faces direct refutation from Rippey, who offers a starkly different account of how the truth ultimately surfaced.
This historical flashpoint re-emerges as Ruby Rippey celebrates two decades of sobriety, having since remarried and meticulously rebuilt her relationship with Alex Tourk. Her current stability stands in sharp contrast to the turbulent period she vividly describes.
Not the culprit but as a powerless subordinate.
Beyond the personal narratives, the seismic shifts of the #MeToo movement have profoundly shaped Ruby Rippey's reflections on the past. She contends the movement inadvertently cast her as 'not the culprit but as a powerless subordinate,' a characterization she vehemently rejects, asserting her full agency in the complex situation.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Gavin Newsom's wife, publicly declared in 2007 that Ruby Rippey was the 'culprit' in the affair. This statement highlights the intense public scrutiny and the immediate clash of narratives that defined the event from its initial disclosure.
The contrasting accounts from Gavin Newsom's memoir and Ruby Rippey's recent essay underscore the enduring complexities of personal histories, particularly when entangled with public figures. Each narrative offers a distinct lens on the same past events, demanding careful and critical consideration from the public.
Gavin Newsom's assertion of having 'came clean' to Alex Tourk is fundamentally challenged by Ruby Rippey's detailed recollection. This core disagreement over the affair's revelation remains a central point of divergence between their respective narratives, perpetuating a long-standing and unresolved dispute.