Ruby Rippey Discusses Affair with Gavin Newsom

Ruby Rippey, a former aide to Governor Gavin Newsom in San Francisco City Hall, opened up about their 2005 affair in a recent interview. In an essay she published on Tuesday, Newsom suggested that her account didn’t fully capture the truth of what transpired.

In her newly released book, Rippey reflects on how their affair began, marking a significant moment in San Francisco’s political landscape. The scandal became widely publicized in 2007 and is often seen as one of the most embarrassing chapters in Newsom’s career.

With expectations mounting for a presidential run in 2028 after he steps down as governor next year, Newsom has shown a willingness to confront his past. He addressed his role in this incident in his memoir published earlier this year.

Newsom commented on the situation, admitting, “Ruby drank too much, and I drank too much.” He described how she was among several staff who visited his apartment for a party, noting that she was the last to leave, referring to the whole episode as “the stupidest, shortest thing that happened.”

Later, Newsom acknowledged publicly that Rippey ultimately decided to share her experiences from a 12-step group a year after the affair.

However, Rippey expressed discomfort upon reading parts of Newsom’s memoir. She felt it was written as if he expected she would remain silent. “It felt like it was written by someone who thought I wouldn’t respond,” she described, mentioning that she sensed his portrayal might unfairly credit him with her own recognition of the incident.

She also shed light on the notion that Newsom had revealed the affair to her husband, Alex Tourak, which she regarded as a subtle but critical detail. “That sticks in my memory,” Rippey said. “It suggests that he gets credit for something I had already done. It’s probably defensible, but it implies it was him who told Alex the truth, not me.”

When the California Post sought comments from Newsom’s political team, it was revealed that his campaign manager, Mr. Tuke, resigned following a confrontation. Newsom later held a press conference where he publicly apologized for what he described as a “personal error in judgment.”

“I want to clarify that everything you’ve heard or read is true, and for that, I am deeply sorry,” Newsom stated at the time.