When Gavin Newsom married actor Jennifer Siebel in 2008,
he described their wedding as "magical." So, now that Newsom is Governor of California,
is his high-profile marriage living up to its lofty expectations? Keep watching to find out.
When Gavin Newsom met Jennifer Siebel, the sparks immediately flew. According to the San Francisco
Chronicle, a mutual friend played matchmaker, setting them up on a blind date in 2006.
Even though Newsom was fresh off a divorce from his first wife, it was pretty much love at first
sight. Siebel was an actor who'd appeared in Mad Men, Numb3rs, and a slew of movies.
Newsom was an up-and-coming democratic powerhouse — having become mayor of San Francisco in 2004.
He was also a self-made millionaire with an upscale chain of wine stores, wineries,
restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, and retail shops, as noted in the Los Angeles Times.
Despite his high profile, Siebel told the San Francisco Chronicle that she
didn't know much about Newsom when they first met, aside from him being a, quote,
"politician with aspirations." However, they hit it off instantly. Siebel told the Chronicle:
"We had so much in common; we were blown away — from our love for Africa to our
interests in political issues to art and the wine business and college sports."
Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel make for the perfect political pairing — glamorous,
supportive, and seemingly always on the same wavelength. But,
although they now share the same values and ideals, it hasn't always been that way.
The couple's childhoods and upbringing were poles apart, despite some initial similarities.
Newsom's father, William Newsom, was a state appeals court judge
and administrator of the Getty trust. As per the Los Angeles Times,
William was a staunch Democrat who had grown up with the Gettys, courtesy of his close
friendship with high school classmate Gordon Getty. William married Tessa Menzies in 1966,
and they had two children, Gavin and Hilary. However, according to Elle, the siblings'
lives changed dramatically following their parents' split when Gavin was still a toddler.
Tessa was now a single mom raising her kids alone, in a small apartment. Due to William's reluctance
to financially support his former family, she had to work multiple jobs while studying for
her realtor's license. Meanwhile, Siebel grew up in the tiny Bay Area suburb of Ross. She attended
prep school and studied at Stanford. Her father earned a fortune as an investment manager. Per the
AP, he was a devout Republican and ardent believer in "Reaganomics" — as were all of the family.
"Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem."
Siegel eventually formed her own political ideology, however. And, in 2008 she switched
from being a registered Republican to a member of the American Independent Party, per SFGate.
When Gavin Newsom walked down the aisle with Jennifer Siebel, it wasn't his first time at the
wedding rodeo. The politician was previously married to former Fox News news commentator
Kimberly Guilfoyle — yes, that Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.'s latest squeeze.
"Leaders and fighters for freedom and liberty and the American dream, the best is yet to come!"
Newsom and Guilfoyle said "I do" in 2001. Guilfoyle was an assistant D.A.
and Newsom was a city supervisor, so they made for a high profile pairing.
Guilfoyle quit her prosecutor role to join her husband's campaign team as he ran for mayor.
She moved from the courtroom to the camera following his win,
starting as an on-air legal analyst, before landing a gig with Fox News.
However, San Francisco's new "First Lady" soon moved to New York in order to further her career,
and by 2006 the couple was divorced. Newsom was suddenly the hottest bachelor in town, and he
made the most of it, dating actor Sofia Milos for a spell, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Meanwhile, Siebel lived it up in Los Angeles as she built her acting career.
Back in her Hollywood days, Siebel hooked up with George Clooney. The
actors saw each for a brief period in 2002 — so brief that Clooney admitted to Esquire,
"We went out for a minute."
When news broke of Gavin Newsom's affair with a former staffer, Ruby Rippey Gibney,
the wife of his deputy chief of staff, Alex Tourk, Jennifer Siebel stuck by his
side — even though they'd only been dating for a few months. The affair, which occurred following
Newsom's breakup with Kimberly Guilfoyle, spelled the end of Rippey Gibney's marriage.
"It's something I can't do over. And
it's something that for the rest of my life I'll regret."
Newsom later told the Sacramento Bee about the affair:
"Sometimes people make mistakes in their lives, and you then work hard never to make
them again because you learn from them. I've never made them again,
and I've learned from it, and it led ultimately to falling in love with Jen."
Siebel continued to stand by her man after he opened up about his alcohol use.
Rumors about Newsom's drinking had been floating around for some time,
and he publicly addressed them after news of the affair broke. Newsom said in a statement:
"I have come to the conclusion that I will be a better person without alcohol in my life."
Newsom shot down media reports that he'd entered rehab, though, telling the Sacramento Bee:
"There was no treatment, no nothing related to any of that stuff.
I stopped because I thought it was a good thing to stop."
Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel decided to take it to the next level in December 2007.
Newsom popped the question during the holidays, after 14 months of dating.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the couple was vacationing in Hawaii when
he asked for Siebel's hand in marriage. In a nod to old-fashioned family values,
Newsom asked Siebel's father for his permission before proposing.
Newsom and Siebel married in July 2008. As SFgate reported at the time,
they wed at her father's ranch in Stevensville, Montana, in front of 230 guests. Siebel arrived
in style, astride a black stallion, clad in Vera Wang and glittering diamonds, as the Missoula
symphony orchestra played the Out of Africa film score. Newsom told The San Francisco Sentinel,
"I want [our wedding] to be everything for her that she ever dreamed of. That's why it
is Montana. It's her dream, right there on the river [...] I want it to be magical."
Jennifer Siebel is passionate about reversing injustice, gender bias, and financial inequality.
She's made three documentaries: Misrepresentation, The Mask you Live In, and The Great American Lie.
Here's what the San Francisco Chronicle had to say about The Great American Lie:
"[The film] makes a strong case that the system, as it is currently structured, puts the American
dream out of reach for anyone born poor, except for the extremely gifted or extremely lucky."
Gavin Newsom is publicly supportive of his wife's views. However, he has no problem with putting
those concerns aside when furthering his political ambitions. Jacobin Magazine once wrote of Newsom:
"If centrist liberalism were a person, that person would be Gavin Newsom. He talks a big
game about equality and justice, but his actions as governor of California tell a different story."
Despite being raised by a single mom in a modest apartment after his parents divorced,
Gavin maintained a strong relationship with his father. William Newsom was close friends
with Gordon Getty and administrator of the Getty trust, according to CalMatters.org.
William's position as a state appeals court judge also enabled him to form bonds with other
family dynasties — and Gavin relied on those friendships to launch his political career.
According to The Los Angeles Times, eight of San Francisco's most elite
families have been Gavin's most prominent financial contributors over the decades.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the California Governor raised $70
million to help defeat the recall threat thanks to his uber-rich connections.
In addition to raising their four children, Gavin Newsom and Jennifer
Siebel also work closely together. The filmmaker was by his side when he met
with the President of El Salvador in April of 2019. Unlike many other politicians' wives,
Siebel didn't just smile and make small talk. According to the AP, she quizzed the president
about his country's human rights abuses against women — in fluent Spanish no less.
According to the AP, since he became state governor, Siebel has encouraged her husband to
decrease wage disparities and improve family leave provisions. And, it appears her hard work paid
off. In May 2019, Newsom announced his "parents' agenda." The legislation expanded paid family
leave — for each parent equally — and increased tax credits to benefit low-income families.
Newsom also decreased taxes on tampons and diapers as part of the new state budget.
Both Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel purport to be staunch
supporters of the #MeToo movement. In 2019, a CAGov press release announced,
"[Governor Newsom signed] landmark legislation drafted in response to the #MeToo movement
focused on sexual harassment prevention and accountability, and creating a safe workplace for
all Californians, especially women who experience sexual harassment at disproportionate rate."
However, both News and Siebel have come under fire for alleged shady dealings involving Harvey
Weinstein — the convicted sexual predator and rapist that sparked the #MeToo social movement.
Newsom's commitment was called into question when The Washington Free Beacon reported that
he'd apparently been given a $300 bottle of wine by David Boies, one of Weinstein's attorneys.
The gift was accepted by Newsom a month after it was reported that Boies had
been hired by the disgraced movie mogul to dig up dirt on his accusers and victims.
Siebel's ethics were put under the spotlight after Rose McGowan alleged in an interview
with Dave Rubin that she'd attempted to broker a deal in return for the outspoken
actor's silence. Rubin tweeted a clip of the interview and revealed McGowan told him,
"Jennifer called her on behalf of Harvey Weinstein's lawyer six
months before the Weinstein scandal broke to make the story go away."
Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel are more than just spouses and parents — they're
also each other's biggest supporters. In an interview with The Sacramento Bee,
the California Governor had this praise for his wife:
"[I value] the incredible work [Jennifer's] done on issues of gender equality,
pay equity, how we're raising our boys, and now a growing commitment to income inequality."
Meanwhile, Seibel told The Bee in a separate interview:
"[Gavin and I are] just very aligned [...] and we educate each other. He's like my best researcher,
and he's learned so much from my films, and I've learned so much from his work."
Siebel also fiercely defends her husband if he's attacked. As per Yahoo! News,
when criticism grew over Newsom canceling his trip to the COP26
conference for "family reasons," Siebel hit back hard, writing in a since-deleted tweet:
"It's funny how certain folks can't handle truth. When someone cancels something,
maybe they're just in the office working; maybe in their free time they're at home with their family,
at their kids' sports matches, or dining out with their wife. Please stop hating and get a life."
Jennifer Siebel tore up the political rule book when Gavin Newsom became Governor of California.
Historically, governors' wives have always been referred to as the first lady. But that
didn't sit well with Siebel, who chose the title of "first partner" instead.
Following Newsom's victory, Siebel tweeted:
"Being First Partner is about inclusion,
breaking down stereotypes, and valuing the partnerships that allow any of us to succeed.
Grateful for this opportunity to continue advocating for a more equitable future."
The filmmaker told The Los Angeles Times that the title didn't mean she
viewed herself as a political equal. Siebel explained to the newspaper:
"But, I see that we complement and support each other,
and I'm obviously a thought partner of his — and the main thought partner."
During the campaign, Siebel had equated gender
roles to "straitjackets," according to the Buffalo News. Siebel told the outlet:
"You lose something in the process of performing
masculinity or performing femininity — which is being a 'lady.'"
Siebel vowed that if Newsom won, she'd utilize her new power in productive ways,
including advocating mental health issues and dealing with sexual harassment-related matters,
according to The Mercury News. Meanwhile, even though she fully supports her husband
in any way she can, Siebel remains committed to continuing her own career and advocacy work.
She's also made it clear that she's never going to be a trophy wife, quipping to The Mercury News:
"I've already played that in Hollywood."
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