Gavin Newsom's Transformation Since His Divorce From Kimberly Guilfoyle Is Turning Heads

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When Gavin Newsom and Kimberly Guilfoyle were first married in 2001, they were considered quite the power couple in the California political scene. Newsom was on the rise in San Francisco with help from then-Mayor Willie Brown, and Guilfoyle was an assistant district attorney in San Francisco. However, when Newsom and Guilfoyle split in 2006, it attracted significant media attention with increased public scrutiny of Newsom's personal life, which some speculated could affect his political image. Instead, Newsom pulled off a serious glow-up.

The divorce between Guilfoyle and Newsom occurred two years into his first term as mayor of San Francisco. As soon as Newsom stepped onto the scene as an eligible bachelor, there was an absolute frenzied energy around his dating life. At one point, he was even dubbed "Mayor McHottie," and it was speculated that the character of President Fitzgerald Grant from "Scandal" might be based on Newsom. However, it wasn't just his love life turning heads post-divorce. These are the looks that had constituents buzzing about Newsom's transformation after Guilfoyle.

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Emerging from his divorce from Kimberly Guilfoyle in 2006, Gavin Newsom immediately fell prey to what many men in the 2000s struggled with — excessive hair gel. Slicking his hair back like Patrick Bateman from "American Psycho" didn't give off the polished look "Mayor McHottie" was probably going for. While he might have been trying to project steady confidence during his first term as San Francisco mayor, the slicked-back style gave off more flash than finesse.

But Newsom's hair wasn't the only thing drawing attention. In 2006, he faced criticism for dating a 19-year-old while he was 39 — a legal relationship, but one that raised eyebrows, particularly when she was seen drinking alcohol at an event alongside the mayor. The bigger scandal, though, came in 2007, when Newsom admitted to having an affair with Ruby Rippey-Tourk, the wife of his top campaign advisor, who also worked for him as a secretary. Truly, there is a very shady side to Newsom.

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In 2008, Gavin Newsom finally remarried, a few years after his divorce from Kimberly Guilfoyle. Upon marrying actress Jennifer Siebel, Gavin seemingly began to adopt a more laid-back approach to his hairstyle. While his hair retained that now-signature slicked-back look, there was considerably less crunchy gel in it — which is great news for the entire city of San Francisco, where "Comb Your Hair Like Gavin Newsom Day" was declared in 2009. Plus, embracing the salt-and-pepper look was naturally a good choice, as the man is undeniably handsome. It also shows he's more open and accepting of appearing his age, even if the same cannot be said for his ex. 

Unlike Newsom, Guilfoyle has been surrounded by plastic surgery rumors, all purportedly to stave off any sign of aging. Taking her looks to the next level, it's surprising to see how much Guilfoyle has altered her own appearance since her modeling days. This is why it's a minor relief that Newsom is not going down a similar path. It would be unsettling to imagine this politician with lip filler.

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After several years as Lieutenant Governor of California, Gavin Newsom launched his second gubernatorial campaign in 2018 with a more calculated approach. Having flopped in his first bid for governor, Newsom clearly decided it was time to switch gears. Seen above giving a talk at the beloved San Francisco music and arts festival "Outside Lands," it's clear that Newsom knew he would need to dress down to appeal to voters.

Let's face it, venture capitalists and people in the tech sphere have their own sense of style, which is often more laid-back than what is expected of politicians. Think: wearing jeans to the opera as a lifestyle. Newsom knew that to win the 2018 election, he would need to blend in with this powerful yet finicky crowd — and this meant losing the tie, wearing an informal suit coat, and even unbuttoning a bit. It seems that switching up the look to be more approachable worked. Newsom won the election for governor of California in a landslide and has used his tenure in office to build a robust political future within the Democratic Party.

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During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gavin Newsom was quick to put rules in place regarding distancing, staying at home, and regulating restaurants. However, he was also quick to break those very rules. Case in point: partying it up at the multiple-Michelin-star restaurant The French Laundry in 2020. This move would prove to be disastrous in the short term, as many constituents grew angry with the governor over these actions. Shortly after this, Newsom made a big show of following mask protocols and issuing apologies.

During the tumult of COVID-19 lockdowns, a campaign was launched to recall Gavin Newsom from the position of governor. It wasn't the first time groups in California had attempted to remove him from office, but the 2020 effort gained significant traction. Anger over Newsom's flagrant disregard for his own rules, job losses due to the pandemic, and an alleged scandal involving the state unemployment agency led to a recall election in 2021. Ultimately, Newsom remained in office.

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In recent years, Governor Gavin Newsom has begun to adopt quite possibly the most middle-aged fashion accessory available: aviator sunglasses. It's a total dad move that might make him feel like a bad boy, but just comes off like a bad "The Terminator" rip-off. Since the previous governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, actually played the role of "Terminator," it might be best if Newsom left the style well enough alone. However, it seems this look did kick off a trend of T-shirts for those die-hard fans of his aviators.

Although he has gone through quite the transformation over the years, Newsom is still throwing shade at his ex-wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle. As Guilfoyle moves further into the Trump camp, Newsom has run out of polite things to say. When asked by MSNBC's Alex Wagner if he and Guilfoyle still speak, Newsom wholeheartedly responded, "Nope. Not lately." The final straw? Probably when Guilfoyle openly mocked her ex-husband's political aspirations. "He ain't making it to the White House," she said at a Turning Point USA event in 2022.