Governor Newsom’s Memoir Reflects on Personal Tragedy
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s upcoming memoir touches on a deeply personal loss: the assisted suicide of his mother. This revelation comes despite his support for a law that allows terminally ill individuals in California to end their lives.
His book, titled “Youth in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery,” is set to be published on February 24. In it, he shares his early life experiences, including profound grief and remorse associated with his mother’s assisted suicide at the age of 55. Tessa Newsome, suffering from metastatic breast cancer, made the request in 2002, according to reports.
Newsom expressed conflicting emotions about the experience, stating, “I hated her for years, watching her in her final moments. I’d like to say it was a great experience, but it was a really bad experience,” as mentioned in the Post.
He recalls that just an hour before her passing, he and his sister administered painkillers to ease her discomfort. When doctors arrived, she responded clearly to their questions, reaffirming her decision to end her life.
While Newsom’s sister chose to leave the room before the procedure, he stayed with their mother throughout, reflecting, “And after she passed away, I sat there with her for another 20 minutes. My head was on her stomach, just crying, waiting for her next breath.”
This law under discussion was initially signed into effect in 2015 by former Governor Jerry Brown and was enacted without a public ballot, following legislative approval. It granted terminally ill patients the option of physician-assisted death.
Given the support for the measure at the time, it followed earlier unsuccessful attempts to legalize such options in California.
Nearly five years after the initial law was adopted, Newsom signed an amendment, Senate Bill 380, which reduced the waiting period between two oral requests for medication from 15 days to just 48 hours. This bill also eliminated the requirement for a final written certification.
Most recently, in October 2025, Newsom signed Senate Bill 403, which made the End of Life Option Act permanent by repealing an earlier expiration clause originally set for January 1, 2031. This move was commended by advocacy groups for ensuring ongoing access to end-of-life options.
Kevin Diaz, president and CEO of Compassion & Choices, expressed his support for this decision, emphasizing that it guarantees that Californians will have access to comprehensive healthcare choices when facing terminal illnesses.
Since the law’s implementation in 2016, over 8,000 individuals have been prescribed assisted dying, with more than 5,400 having opted for the medication, according to the California Department of Public Health.
