Did Gavin Newsom Cheat on His Wife? Inside His 2005 Affair With Former Aide Ruby Rippey Gibney

California's political landscape has rarely been more fractious. As wildfires devastate communities and questions mount over the state's governance, Governor Gavin Newsom finds himself at the centre of renewed scrutiny that extends beyond policy failures into his personal history.

A heated social media dispute between Newsom's office and conservative influencer Benny Johnson has reignited discussion of the governor's admitted infidelity and raised uncomfortable questions about accountability in public life. The exchange began innocuously enough. Johnson announced plans to travel to California to 'investigate fraud', prompting a cutting response from Newsom's press office.

What followed, however, descended into personal territory when the governor's team issued a remark widely interpreted as a homophobic jab. 'We'll make sure Grindr servers are ready,' the post read, leaving observers stunned by its tastelessness.

Johnson responded with measured fury, writing on X: 'So your response to evidence of mass fraud in California is to accuse me of cheating on my wife? I have never cheated on my wife. We've been together for nearly 20 years'. He then pivoted to direct criticism of Newsom himself, referencing the governor's documented affair with a subordinate staffer during his tenure as San Francisco mayor.

Affair That Exposed Deeper Questions

The infidelity in question dates to 2005, when Newsom was married to Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle. At that time, he was conducting an affair with Ruby Rippey Gibney, who worked as his appointments secretary from February 2004 to August 2006. The situation was complicated by the fact that Rippey Gibney was herself married to Alex Tourk, Newsom's former campaign manager.

When the affair became public in 2007, Newsom released a statement accepting responsibility. 'I am deeply sorry,' he told reporters. 'I humbly ask all of those I have hurt for their forgiveness.

I will not let my personal failures impact my public duties. I believe the best way I can atone for what I have done is to focus every day on helping to make this a better city.'

What proved more contentious was Newsom's claim regarding rehabilitation. When questioned by the Sacramento Bee in 2018, he admitted he had never attended a formal alcohol rehabilitation programme despite publicly stating otherwise.

'There's no rehab. I just stopped,' he said. 'There was no treatment, no nothing related to any of that stuff. I stopped because I thought it was a good thing to stop'.

Rippey Gibney herself broke her long silence in 2018 via Facebook, insisting the relationship had been consensual. 'Yes, I was a subordinate, but I was also a freethinking, 33-year-old adult married woman and mother,' she wrote.

She emphasised that while she fully supported the #MeToo movement, she did not view her own experience as falling within its scope, telling the Los Angeles Times that she wanted to ensure the movement remained reserved 'for cases and situations that deserve it'.

Where Is Rippey Gibney Today?

Today, Rippey Gibney maintains a deliberately low profile. She now works as a content writer and manager at Catch Marketing Services, drawing on over a decade of experience in corporate and franchise relations. She previously served as director of corporate and franchise relations for 1-800-Radiator from 2008 to 2015.

She is now married to Ryan Gibney and shares two children with him. Her decision to step back from public view stands in stark contrast to Newsom's continued prominence in California politics. While the governor has married twice since his separation from Guilfoyle — first briefly dating CSI: Miami star Sofia Milos, then controversially pursuing then-19-year-old aspiring model Brittanie Mountz when he was 38 — Rippey Gibney chose a quieter path.

The resurfacing of these personal details amid California's current crisis suggests that questions about character and judgment remain relevant. Whether voters view past infidelity as disqualifying for office remains a separate question. What is clear is that for Newsom, the past continues to haunt present political debates, particularly when invoked during moments of defensive positioning.