A former staffer who had an affair with Gavin Newsom is setting the record straight two decades after the scandal rocked Democratic politics. “That detail—subtle but significant—is the one that stays with me,” Rippey wrote. Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesA representative for Gavin Newsom said the governor “acknowledged his role and publicly apologized nearly two decades ago when he was still mayor.” I tell her people are urging me to speak publicly,” Rippey wrote. Gavin Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel-Newsom embrace during a campaign event in support of Proposition 50 in San Francisco, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.