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Jennifer Siebel Newsom | |
|---|---|
 Siebel Newsom in 2018 | |
| First Partner of California | |
Current | |
| Assumed role January 7, 2019 | |
| Governor | Gavin Newsom |
| Preceded by | Anne Gust Brown (as first lady) |
| Second Lady ofCalifornia | |
| In role January 10, 2011 – January 7, 2019 | |
| Lieutenant Governor | Gavin Newsom |
| Preceded by | Laura Maldonado |
| Succeeded by | Markos Kounalakis (as second partner) |
| First Lady ofSan Francisco | |
| In role July 26, 2008 – January 10, 2011 | |
| Mayor | Gavin Newsom |
| Preceded by | Kimberly Guilfoyle (2006) |
| Succeeded by | Anita Lee |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jennifer Lynn Siebel (1974-06-19)June 19, 1974 (age 51)[1] San Francisco,California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (2024–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Republican (before 2008) Independent (2008–2024) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Thomas Siebel (second cousin once removed) |
| Education | Stanford University (BA,MBA) |
Jennifer Lynn Siebel Newsom (néeSiebel; born June 19, 1974) is an Americandocumentary filmmaker and actress who has served as thefirst partner of California since 2019 as the wife of GovernorGavin Newsom. She was the director, writer, and producer of the filmMiss Representation (2011), which premiered in the documentary competition at theSundance Film Festival. The film examines how the media has underrepresented women in positions of power.The Mask You Live In (2015), the second film that she wrote, produced and directed, scrutinizes American society's definition of masculinity.
During her tenure as the wife of the governor, the role of first lady was retitledfirst partner to begender inclusive.[2][3][4] She was previously the state's second lady from 2011 to 2019 and first lady ofSan Francisco from 2008 to 2011.
Jennifer Lynn Siebel was born in San Francisco, to Kenneth F. Siebel Jr., an investment manager, and Judy Siebel (née Fritzer), cofounder of theBay Area Discovery Museum inSausalito.[1] She grew up in the suburb ofRoss, California.[5][6][7] She is the second cousin once removed toThomas Siebel.[8]
Jennifer is the second oldest of five girls and attended Ross Grammar School andThe Branson School. At six years old, she was present when a golf cart accidentally ran over her older sister Stacy, killing her.[9] Siebel Newsom has stated that she still feels survivor's guilt over her sister's death. During high school, she played varsity basketball, soccer, and tennis.[10] She later graduated with honors fromStanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American studies in 1996 andMaster of Business Administration in 2001.[citation needed]
At Stanford, she was recruited to play on the women's soccer team. While pursuing her MBA, Siebel Newsom also studied at theAmerican Conservatory Theater, where she completed a certificate program. After completing her education, Siebel Newsom traveled to Africa, Latin America, and Europe on assignments withConservation International, a global environmental coalition.[6]
In 2002, Siebel Newsom moved toHollywood, where she concentrated on building her acting career.[6] Siebel Newsom earned many roles in television, film, and theater. She has appeared on such television shows asLife,Mad Men,Strong Medicine, andNumb3rs.
Miss Representation premiered at the 2011Sundance Film Festival to mostly positive reviews.[11] The film went on to screen at numerous other festivals, including theSan Francisco International Film Festival,Athena Film Festival and won the Audience Award at thePalo 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, andGloria Steinem discussing the media and its message regarding women.[12] On February 10, 2011,Oprah Winfrey announced that she had acquired the film for theOWN Documentary Film Club.[13] Funding for the film included contributions from corporations likePacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), which donated to The Representation Project, the nonprofit behind Siebel Newsom’s filmmaking efforts.[14]
Siebel Newsom raised $101,111 onKickstarter to fund the production of her second filmThe Mask You Live In, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.[15] Her third film wasThe Great American Lie.[16] She directed the documentary filmFair Play in 2022. Several of her films, includingMiss Representation and others produced through The Representation Project, received financial support from PG&E, a major California utility company with interests regulated by the state government.[14]
Siebel Newsom co-founded The Representation Project, an organization which works to end gender stereotypes.[17] The Representation Project's board members includeJan Yanehiro,Nathan Ballard, Susie McCormick, and Maureen Pelton.[18][19][20] 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 husbandGavin Newsom's political career ascended, and continued to draw her salary after he became governor.[21] 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.[21]
In the early 2000s, Siebel Newsom dated actorGeorge Clooney.[6][22][23]
She metGavin Newsom on a blind date set up by a mutual friend at theYerba Buena Center for the Arts in October 2006.[24] The couple announced their engagement in January 2008.[24] They wed in July of the same year at her parents' ranch inStevensville, Montana, and have four children.[25][26][27][28]
In 2011, Siebel Newsom and her family moved from San Francisco toKentfield, where she had grown up.[29] In 2019, Siebel Newsom and her family moved toFair Oaks, California.[30]
Her sister, Melissa Siebel, is married to Joshua Irwing Schiller, son ofBoies Schiller Flexner LLP co-founderJonathan Schiller.[31]
Siebel Newsom was registered as aRepublican until 2008, before re-registering asNo Party Preference. Prior to registering as an independent voter, she accidentally registered with the far-rightAmerican Independent Party, before correcting her party to "decline to state".[32]
Siebel Newsom was one of several accusers againstHarvey Weinstein in his2022 Los Angeles criminal rape and sexual assault trial.[33] In November 2022, Siebel Newsom testified in court that, in 2005, Weinstein had raped her in a hotel room, having lured her there under the pretenses of holding a professional discussion about film projects.[34] Weinstein's attorney claimed what took place was "consensual,transactional sex".[35] The jury was unable to reach a verdict on Siebel Newsom's accusation and that of one of his other accusers. A mistrial was declared on those charges. However, the jury found Weinstein guilty on three counts pertaining to a third accuser, an Italian model and actress. Weinstein, who was already two years into a 23-year sentence for a rape and sexual assault conviction in New York, faced a 24-year sentence for the Los Angeles verdict as of December 2022.[36]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Hades Night | Klara | |
| Something's Gotta Give | Younger Woman in Market | ||
| 2004 | Dinocroc | Gereco Receptionist | |
| Zen Noir | Nora | ||
| American Daylight | Zelda | ||
| 2005 | Raw Footage | Monica | |
| Rent | Receptionist | ||
| 2006 | Late Night Girls | Julie | |
| 2007 | Fall Guy: The John Stewart Story | Sharon Stone | |
| The Trouble with Romance | Jill | ||
| Bone Dry | Wife | ||
| In the Valley of Elah | Jodie | ||
| 2008 | April Fool's Day | Barbie | Direct-to-DVD |
| The Butler's in Love | Eleanor (as Jennifer Siebel) | 3-D Short Film | |
| 2009 | Aliens on Crack | Pooty | |
| Down for Life | Ms. Hardwicke | ||
| The Magnificent Cooly-T | Sammy | ||
| 2010 | Tales of an Ancient Empire | Queen Ma'at | |
| 2017 | She's Out of His Mind | Judy | |
| TBA | Sleeping with the Lion | Coral |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | She Spies | Woman #2 | Episode: "First Episode" |
| Presidio Med | Cyndy Lloyd | 4 episodes | |
| 2003 | Strong Medicine | Nancy Donahue | Episode: "Misdiagnosis Murder" |
| The Proud Family | The Counselor | Episode: "The Camp, the Counselor, the Mole and the Rock" | |
| 2004 | Cracking Up | Trish | Episode: "Grudge Match" |
| 2005 | Numbers | Diane Rausch | Episode: "Bettor or Worse" |
| 2007–2008 | Life | Jennifer Conover | 9 episodes |
| 2008 | Mad Men | Juanita Carson | Episode: "For Those Who Think Young" |
| The Nanny Express | Pam | Television film | |
| 2009 | Trauma | Stephanie | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2010 | The Glades | Stephanie Chapman | 2 episodes |
Directed By: Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the Sundance Film Festival favorite is the 11th documentary acquisition for OWN.
Montana Tessa Siebel Newsom, the first child for the mayor and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, was born at 12:39 p.m. Friday.
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, gave birth Sunday morning to an 8-pound, 4-ounce boy
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Laura Maldonado | Second Partner of California January 10, 2011 – January 7, 2019 | Succeeded byas Second Gentleman |
| Preceded byas First Lady | First Partner of California January 7, 2019 – present | Current holder |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
