Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Jennifer Siebel Newsom
First Lady of California
Assumed role January 7, 2019
Governor	Gavin Newsom
Preceded by	Anne Gust Brown
Second Lady of California
In role January 10, 2011 – January 7, 2019
Lieutenant Governor	Gavin Newsom
Preceded by	Laura Maldonado
Succeeded by	Markos Kounalakis (as Second Gentleman)
First Lady of San Francisco
In role July 26, 2008[1] – January 10, 2011
Preceded by	Kimberly Guilfoyle
Succeeded by	Anita Lee
Personal details
Born	Jennifer Lynn Siebel (1974-06-19) June 19, 1974 (age 47)[2] San Francisco, California, U.S.
Political party	Independent (2008–present)
Other political affiliations	Republican (before 2008) American Independent (2008)
Spouse(s)	Gavin Newsom ​ (m. 2008)​
Relations	Thomas Siebel (cousin)
Children	4
Education	Stanford University (BA, MBA)

Jennifer Lynn Siebel Newsom (born June 19, 1974) is an American documentary filmmaker and actress. She is the director, writer, and producer of the film Miss Representation, which premiered in the documentary competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The film examines how the media has underrepresented women in positions of power. The Mask You Live In, her second film which she wrote, produced and directed, scrutinizes American society's definition of masculinity.

Newsom is married to Governor Gavin Newsom of California, making her the first lady of California.^[3][4][5] She was previously the state's second lady from 2011 to 2019 and first lady of San Francisco from 2008 to 2011.

Early life and education[]

Newsom was born in San Francisco, to Kenneth F. Siebel Jr., an investment manager (the second cousin to software entrepreneur Thomas Siebel), and Judy Siebel (née Fritzer), the co-founder of the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito.^[2] Siebel grew up in the affluent suburb of Ross, California.^[6][7][8]

She is the second oldest of five girls and attended Ross Grammar School and The Branson School. When she was six, her older sister Stacy died at age eight from a golf cart accident. Siebel has stated she carries a lot of guilt as she was present at the time of the accident. During high school, she played varsity basketball, soccer, and tennis.^[9] She later graduated with honors from Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American studies in 1996 and Master of Business Administration in 2001.^{[citation needed]}

At Stanford, she was recruited to play on the women's soccer team. While pursuing her MBA, Newsom also studied at the American Conservatory Theater, where she completed a certificate program. After completing her education, Newsom traveled to Africa, Latin America, and Europe on assignments with Conservation International, a global environmental coalition.^[7]

Career[]

Play media

Newsom and Governor Newsom presenting the 2019 inductees in the California Hall of Fame.

In 2002, Newsom moved to Hollywood, where she concentrated on building her acting career.^[7] Newsom earned many roles in television, film, and theater. Newsom has appeared on such television shows as Life, Mad Men, Strong Medicine, and Numb3rs.

Miss Representation premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival to mostly positive reviews.^[10] The film went on to screen at numerous other festivals, including the San Francisco International Film Festival, Athena Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the Palo Alto International Film Festival. The film interweaves stories from teenage girls with interviews with, among others, Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rosario Dawson, and Gloria Steinem discussing the media and its message regarding women.^[11] On February 10, 2011, Oprah Winfrey announced that she had acquired the film for the OWN Documentary Film Club.^[12]

Newsom raised $101,111 on Kickstarter to fund the production of her second film The Mask You Live In, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.^[13][14]

Newsom's third and most recent film was The Great American Lie.^[15]

She co-founded , an organization which works to end gender stereotypes.^{[citation needed]} The Representation Project's board members include Jan Yanehiro, Nathan Ballard, Susie McCormick, and Maureen Pelton.^[16][17][18] In 2021, The Sacramento Bee revealed that from 2011 to 2018, Siebel Newsom earned $2.3 million from her film work through her nonprofit organization, which had received $800,000 in donations from companies with business before California's government as her husband Gavin Newsom's political career ascended, and continued to draw her salary after he became governor.^[19] While the practice is allowed by California law, outside ethics experts expressed concerns about conflicts of interest; a spokesperson for The Representation Project said Siebel Newsom had not overseen fundraising since 2015.^[19]

Personal life[]

In the early 2000s, Newsom dated actor George Clooney.^[20][21][7]

She met Gavin Newsom on a blind date set up by a mutual friend at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in October 2006.^[1] The couple announced their engagement in January 2008.^[1] Jennifer and Gavin wed in July of the same year at her parents' ranch in Stevensville, Montana. The Newsoms have four children.^{[22][23][24][25]}

In 2011, Newsom and her family moved from San Francisco to Ross, where she grew up.^[26] In 2019, Newsom and her family moved to Fair Oaks, California.^[27]

Voter registration[]

Newsom was registered as a Republican in 2008 but has re-registered as an independent voter. Prior to registering as an independent voter, she mistakenly registered with the far-right American Independent Party.^[28]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Television[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

• Jennifer Siebel Newsom – Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
• Jennifer Siebel Newsom at IMDb
• Jennifer Siebel Newsom on Facebook