Summary (tl;dr)

Ruby Rippey, a former aide to Gavin Newsom, has broken nearly two decades of silence by publishing a detailed personal essay in Vanity Fair about her 2005 affair with Newsom when he was Mayor of San Francisco, a revelation that is trending due to Newsom's anticipated 2028 presidential bid.

Essential Background

In 2007, a major political scandal erupted when it was revealed that Ruby Rippey-Tourk, then an appointments secretary for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, had an affair with him. Rippey was married to Alex Tourk, Newsom's deputy chief of staff and a close friend, who subsequently resigned after learning of the affair. Newsom publicly apologized and stated he would seek treatment for alcohol abuse. At the time, Newsom was also undergoing a divorce from Kimberly Guilfoyle. The scandal significantly impacted Newsom's early political career.

The Full Story

Ruby Rippey (formerly Rippey-Tourk) has published a first-person essay in Vanity Fair on July 28, 2026, offering her detailed account of the affair with Gavin Newsom, which occurred in 2005 and continued intermittently for several months. Rippey's essay comes as Newsom, currently the Governor of California, is widely seen as laying the groundwork for a possible 2028 U.S. presidential campaign.

In her essay, Rippey reflects on her struggles with alcoholism and cocaine addiction during that period, and how the affair was intertwined with her substance abuse and proximity to power. She also disputes Newsom's account in his recent memoir, Young Man in a Hurry, regarding how her then-husband, Alex Tourk, learned of the affair, stating that she, not Newsom, first confessed to Tourk. Rippey also reveals that then-District Attorney Kamala Harris advised her to stay silent in the immediate aftermath of the scandal.

Why It Matters

This news is significant because it resurfaces a major scandal from Governor Gavin Newsom's past at a critical juncture in his political career, as he is widely expected to pursue a 2028 presidential nomination. Rippey's detailed narrative provides a new perspective on the events, including the power dynamics involved and her personal struggles, which could draw renewed scrutiny and impact public perception of Newsom. The revelations, particularly about Kamala Harris's advice to Rippey, add a new layer to the historical political context of the affair and its aftermath.

Geographic Location

• San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, United States (location where the affair predominantly occurred and Newsom served as Mayor; City Hall; Newsom's penthouse; North Beach bar)
• Napa Valley, California, United States (location where the affair reportedly began at a wedding, and where Rippey confessed to her husband)
• Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States (location of the W Hotel, where some encounters occurred)
• Mill Valley, Marin County, California, United States (where Ruby Rippey currently resides)