Kamala Harris urged Ruby Rippey to keep quiet about her affair with then-Mayor Gavin Newsom, former San Francisco City Hall aide says

Former San Francisco City Hall aide Ruby Rippey has revealed that former Vice President Kamala Harris urged her to stay silent after her affair with then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom became public, offering a new behind-the-scenes account of one of California’s biggest political scandals. In a personal essay published by Vanity Fair on Tuesday, July 28, Rippey wrote that Harris advised her not to speak publicly, a recommendation she says influenced her decision to remain largely silent for nearly two decades. The disclosure comes at a time when speculation surrounds Newsom’s potential 2028 presidential ambitions, placing fresh attention on a controversy that remains a black spot on the California governor’s political record.

Kamala Harris’ private advice to Ruby Rippey after the scandal

Rippey’s essay sheds new light on how prominent California Democrats responded after the affair surfaced in 2007. According to Rippey, then-San Francisco District Attorney Harris encouraged her to avoid public comments about the relationship while media attention remained intense. Rippey wrote that Harris told her “more time will give you better perspective” — advice she says shaped her decision to stay out of the public spotlight for years.

The account provides a rare glimpse into the relationship between Harris and Newsom, who emerged from the same San Francisco political network and have long been viewed as both allies and occasional political rivals. Although the two politicians have often supported one another, with Harris backing Newsom during California’s 2021 recall election and Newsom endorsing Harris’ presidential ambitions, political observers have frequently described them as longtime “frenemies” whose careers have advanced along parallel paths.

Ruby Rippey writes about the origins of the affair in detail

The Vanity Fair essay revisited the relationship that unfolded in 2005 while Newsom was separated from, or in the process of divorcing, his first wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was later engaged to Donald Trump Jr. Rippey described how flirtation gradually developed into a romantic relationship while both worked in San Francisco City Hall. She recounted meetings with Newsom, along with the events surrounding a Napa Valley wedding that marked the beginning of their relationship, offering details that were largely absent from reporting when the scandal became public in 2007.

The relationship was exposed after Rippey informed her then-husband Alex Tourk — Newsom’s campaign manager and one of his closest political advisers — via email that they were having an affair. Newsom then publicly acknowledged the relationship and apologized.

A scandal that dominated California political headlines

The affair dominated California political headlines because Rippey was married to Newsom’s senior adviser while simultaneously working in the mayor’s office. The controversy prompted Tourk’s resignation, fueled questions about workplace power dynamics and briefly jeopardized Newsom’s political future. Despite the fallout, Newsom won reelection as mayor later that year before eventually becoming governor of California.

Rippey’s latest account does not accuse Newsom of criminal wrongdoing. Instead, it focuses on her experiences with addiction, recovery, shame and the long-term personal consequences of the relationship.

Gavin Newsom’s spokesperson responds

The publication of Rippey’s essay comes as Newsom continues to face speculation about a possible 2028 presidential campaign. Responding to the essay, a spokesperson for the governor told Newsweek that Rippey’s account is consistent with previous descriptions of the affair and emphasized that Newsom was not in a relationship at the time.

“The governor acknowledged his role and publicly apologized nearly two decades ago when he was still mayor. In the time since, he met his wife, started a family, and has focused on serving Californians. He addressed this chapter of his life, including in his memoir, and out of respect for everyone involved, does not have anything further to add,” the spokesperson said.