Gavin Newsom‘s former mistress has broken her long silence, and one detail stands out. She says Kamala Harris called her when the scandal broke.
Ruby Rippey laid out the whole story in a new Vanity Fair essay. She worked as Newsom’s secretary during his years as San Francisco mayor, and she says the professional lines gave way there.
Ruby Rippey recalls Kamala Harris’ alleged advice after the Gavin Newsom affair made headlines
Rippey described how she engineered time alone with him, checking his calendar for gaps, turning up where he was expected and making sure he saw her before she left, TMZ reported. A text would follow soon after, asking, “Where are you?” She says she always went to him.
She was married at the time to Alex Tourk, Newsom’s friend and campaign manager. Rippey says the affair had nothing to do with romance. She frames it as one more intoxicant during her struggle with alcohol and cocaine, driven by closeness to power.
Rippey entered rehab in May 2006 and ended things, though she did not tell Alex until January 2007. He confronted Newsom and stepped down. Newsom then admitted the affair publicly and apologized.
Harris, then California’s San Francisco district attorney, reached out afterwards. Rippey was broke, out of work and weighing a memoir offer. The advice she says she got was to wait. “I wouldn’t say anything right now, Ruby,” Harris allegedly told her. “Just pause. More time will give you better perspective.”
Rippey stayed quiet for two decades. She now says she owns her choices while noting Newsom held more power at work. She is sober, remarried and even attended Alex’s wedding after he told her, “Ruby. We are family.”
A rep for Newsom said he acknowledged his role and apologized nearly 20 years ago, and has since focused on his family and serving Californians. The rep added he has nothing further to add.
TELL US, WAS KAMALA HARRIS’ ALLEGED ADVICE FAIR, OR SHOULD RUBY RIPPY HAVE SPOKEN SOONER?
