Ruby Rippey, a former appointments secretary for California Gov. Gavin Newsom when he served as mayor of San Francisco, has published an essay in Vanity Fair recounting details of a decades-old affair with Newsom. The essay marks a significant public disclosure of a relationship that previously generated controversy in San Francisco political circles.
According to the sources, Rippey’s account includes step-by-step details of the affair. One source indicates that Rippey has also alleged that Kamala Harris, who was serving as San Francisco’s district attorney at the time, privately advised her to remain silent about the relationship. Harris’s role and the nature of any such communication have not been independently confirmed by other reporting.
The publication of the essay comes years after the affair occurred, bringing renewed attention to events from Newsom’s tenure as mayor of San Francisco. The disclosure adds a new dimension to public knowledge about the governor’s personal life during that period.