Gavin Newsom had an affair with 20 years ago shared her story in Vanity Fair magazine. At the time of the affair, Rippey was married to a top aide to Newsom, Alex Tourk. In 2007, Newsom held a news conference in which he ultimately admitted to the affair. According to her own social media post, Rippey told her side of the story now partially because Newsom mentioned her in his memoir. A spokesperson for Newsom told The New York Times, "The governor acknowledged his role and publicly apologized for his conduct nearly two decades ago when he was still mayor.