Here’s what happened.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is once again facing renewed scrutiny over one of the most controversial episodes of his political career after the woman involved in their long-publicized affair shared her version of events in a revealing new personal essay.
The renewed attention comes at a pivotal moment for Newsom, who is widely considered a possible Democratic contender for the White House in 2028 once his time as California governor comes to an end because of term limits. As speculation about his political future grows, past controversies are once again becoming part of the national conversation.
Newsom’s office responded to the latest attention by emphasizing that the governor has already acknowledged the affair and addressed it publicly.
A spokesperson for Newsom said the governor publicly accepted responsibility and apologized for the affair nearly 20 years ago while serving as San Francisco’s mayor. The spokesperson added that Newsom has since married, built a family, and dedicated his efforts to governing California.
The statement added that Newsom has discussed the matter in his recently published memoir and has nothing further to say out of respect for everyone involved.
The controversy dates back to Newsom’s tenure as mayor of San Francisco. In 2007, he admitted to having an affair with Ruby Rippey, who at the time was married to his longtime friend and senior political adviser, Alex Tourk.
The revelation sent shockwaves through California politics and threatened to derail Newsom’s career just as he was emerging as one of the Democratic Party’s rising stars. His public admission of the affair dominated headlines and became one of the defining moments of his early political career.
Nearly twenty years later, Rippey has offered a detailed account of how the relationship began, presenting a version of events that differs from portions of Newsom’s own recollection.
According to Rippey, the events started during a 2005 wedding celebration where she says she broke her sobriety after drinking wine and champagne. As the evening progressed, she recalls spending time with Newsom following the reception before the night became increasingly difficult to remember.
Rippey writes that she remembers sitting beside Newsom near a hot tub before getting into his town car. During the drive to The Carneros Inn, she says he massaged her feet.
She says her memory largely ends there.
According to her account, she woke the following morning feeling cold, disoriented, and with only fragmented memories of the previous night’s events.
Newsom also revisited the incident in his memoir, offering his own perspective on what happened.
In the book, he wrote that both he and Rippey had been drinking heavily that evening and described the relationship as “the briefest of affairs.” He recalled that Rippey had been among several staff members who attended a gathering at his apartment after the wedding and that she was the last person to leave.
Newsom also wrote that Rippey later disclosed the affair to members of her twelve-step recovery group before he eventually acknowledged the relationship publicly.
However, Rippey’s new essay challenges several aspects of that account.
She wrote that reading Newsom’s memoir brought back familiar emotions because she believed he was presenting a version of events without expecting her to respond publicly.
Among her disagreements was Newsom’s description of the relationship as simply “the briefest of affairs,” which she suggested failed to fully reflect her own experience.
Rippey also questioned the impression created in the memoir regarding how the affair became known to her then-husband.
According to her account, she had already told Alex Tourk the truth before Newsom’s public acknowledgment. She argued that Newsom’s version leaves readers with the impression that he took the lead in revealing the affair, while she believes she had already accepted that responsibility herself.
That distinction, Rippey wrote, remains one of the most meaningful differences between their accounts of what happened.
The renewed focus on the scandal arrives as Newsom continues to attract national attention through frequent appearances on major television networks, high-profile policy disputes with President Donald Trump, and growing speculation that he could seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.
Political observers have long noted that candidates seeking the nation’s highest office often face renewed examination of their personal and professional histories. For Newsom, the affair that once threatened to end his political career has once again returned to the spotlight.
Whether the latest revelations have any lasting impact on his national ambitions remains to be seen. But with the 2028 election cycle drawing closer, renewed attention to one of the most controversial chapters of Newsom’s past is likely to keep the California governor under an even brighter political spotlight in the months ahead.
