Transcript

Gavin Newsom (0:00)

Major correction called out by his sister live on tv.

Hilary Newsom (0:04)

I've never doubted for one second that you always have my back.

Gavin Newsom (0:08)

They all think dad left us millions of dollars and if he did, where is my money?

Hilary Newsom (0:14)

Everyone erupted when they saw you just cheering and Dad's eyes started to water. I got emotional and he said, I get it. This is an iHeart podcast.

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Hilary Newsom (0:34)

Are you kidding me?

Take 5 Oil Change Representative (0:35)

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Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: This is Gavin Newsom

Host: Gavin Newsom
Guest: Hilary Newsom (Gavin’s sister)
Episode: "And, This Is How We Were Really Raised with Gavin’s Sister Hilary"
Release Date: March 14, 2026

Episode Overview

In this candid, often playful episode, Governor Gavin Newsom sits down with his sister Hilary for a deeply personal conversation about their upbringing, their parents, family lore, and the stories behind Gavin’s memoir. The siblings swap memories, correct each other's recollections, and unpack the real story behind their family, debunking public perceptions about wealth and privilege while exploring the emotional complexities of their childhood and family relationships.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Growing Up Newsom: Family Myths and Realities

Challenging Misconceptions: Both siblings are quick to dispel the myth of a lavish, privileged upbringing, revealing instead a narrative of struggle, hustle, and financial uncertainty.
- “They all think dad left us millions… and if he did, where is my money?” – Gavin, [00:08]
- “Mom legitimately passed with…I think you got a lease in the car, and I got... Merck stock or something.” – Gavin, [17:21]
Living Arrangements: The family home was often crowded, with their mom, Tessa, renting out rooms and even her bedroom to pay the rent.
- “She rented out the garage. She rented out her bedroom…and lived in the living room…” – Gavin, [39:47]

2. Parental Divorce and Dynamics

Parental Roles: The divorce looms large in their childhood narrative, with their father, Bill Newsom, depicted as a distant figure for much of their early years, and their mother as a hardworking single mom.
- “So the. What we do write about in the book, what I do write about is the fact that they were separated…Dad was a distant figure in those early years.” – Gavin, [14:11]
Financial Strain and Emotional Fallout: Their mother left due to their father’s mounting political and financial failures, seeking advice not to be tethered to his debt.
- “She told me…the only reason she divorced him…was because he had financial problems after his two failed political campaigns.” – Hilary, [15:39]

3. Funny Family Anecdotes and Sibling Dynamics

The Otter Named Potter: Their family’s pet otter, Potter, features in both Gavin’s memoir and their reminiscences, showing quirky family moments and the siblings’ banter.
- “Did you remember the otter in the book? I write about Potter the otter.” – Gavin, [05:11]
Sibling Teasing and Corrections: The episode is peppered with good-natured ribbing, from calling out errors in the book (like Hilary’s bedwetting age) to memories of Gavin paying Hilary a dollar to stay away from him in the school yard.
- “You said 13…It was right before my 13th birthday.” (Hilary correcting Gavin, with much laughter) – [21:10]
- “You gave me a dollar every time I came up to you in the schoolyard to get away from you. I was wealthy.” – Hilary, [31:11]

4. Childhood Hardship, Jobs, and Hustle

Working Since Young Ages: Both siblings worked from a young age, delivering newspapers, working at movie theaters or restaurants, and helping the family scrape by.
- “We always had jobs. My mom was working…two, three jobs literally all the time.” – Gavin, [40:43]
Resourcefulness and Sharing: The conversation highlights resourceful, sometimes comical moments, such as bringing a full grocery bag to school because their dad didn’t realize lunch needed to be assembled.
- “It didn’t occur to him that he had to assemble it.” – Hilary, [13:43]

5. Public Perception vs. Reality

Resentment Over Stereotyping: Both are frustrated with the “silver spoon” label, and stress the family’s hustle and the fact that any financial support was sporadic and hard-earned.
- “Mom deserved the real story…I’m so sick and tired of this notion that everything was handed [to us].” – Gavin, [69:28]

6. Mental Health and Personal Challenges

Dyslexia and Academic Struggles: Both siblings discuss their learning difficulties and the impact it had on their self-image.
- “You struggle with pretty severe dyslexia. I…was just…crushed it academically.” – Gavin, joking, [45:19]
- “You misrepresented my SAT scores…let’s just make that clear.” – Hilary, [45:31]
Compassion and Looking Out for Each Other: While poking fun at sibling rivalry and childhood pranks, there’s an undercurrent of protection and affection.
- “Because you protected me and you made sure nobody [knew about the bedwetting]. That’s the reason it’s in there.” – Hilary, [66:33]

7. The Impact of Loss: Their Parents’ Deaths

Assisted Suicide and Grief: The emotional heart of the episode comes as they discuss their mother’s struggle with cancer, her assisted suicide (before it was legal), and the way each sibling coped with the loss.
- “She did an assisted suicide…you and I were in the room with her after the doctor…” – Gavin, [52:51]
- “She said, ‘My children should not have to endure this.’” – Hilary, [55:19]
Their Father’s Passing — Moments of Connection: Hilary tells how their father called out for their mother before passing; the appearance of a hawk just after his death is interpreted as a sign.
- “You looked outside and you saw that hawk…like a peregrine falcon or something…” – Hilary, [57:38]
- “His obsession with birds was crazy, and it did [appear just then].” – Gavin, [57:56]

8. The Getty Family and Family Relationships

Inextricable Ties: They revisit their close relationship with the Getty family, who played a formative role in their lives through support, adventures, and emotional safety nets.
- “And grabs his best friend…She said, you’re mine, Hillary…you always have been. You’re gonna be okay.” – Hilary, on Anne Getty, [61:29]
- “She truly was family…she always looked out after me.” – Hilary, [64:42]

9. Reflections on the Memoir and Truth-Telling

Hilary Fact-Checks the Book: The episode’s running joke is Hilary’s fact-checking of Gavin’s memoir, calling out embellishments, correcting details, and offering her version of events.
- “It’s your opportunity. Call me out…This is the ‘got you’…” – Gavin, [20:18]
The Book as an Act of Scrutiny and Honesty: Gavin stresses that his memoir isn’t a politician’s book, but an honest reckoning — mistakes, pain, and all.
- “It's not a politician book…mom deserved the real story.” – Gavin, [69:30]
- “That, for me, shows integrity. Because that’s not easy to put out all your mistakes.” – Hilary, [73:29]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Family’s Image:
- “Everyone assumes…we were handed everything. I’m so sick and tired of this notion.” — Gavin, [69:28]
On Sibling Dynamics:
- “You gave me a dollar every time I came up to you…in the schoolyard to get away from you.” — Hilary, [31:11]
On Their Mother's Death:
- “She said, 'My children should not have to endure this.'” — Hilary, [55:19]
On Resilience:
- “You always have my back.” — Hilary, closing the episode, [58:28]
On Dyslexia and Overcoming Struggles:
- “I was just at the JFK Library…and a little kid comes up…puts his head down and says, ‘I have dyslexia, too.’…I kneel down and tell him, ‘Don’t give up.’” — Gavin, [72:39]
On the Otter Potter:
- “Did you remember the otter in the book? I write about Potter the otter.” — Gavin, [05:11]
- “No one’s asked me about the otter.” — Gavin, [06:15]

Timestamps for Key Segments

Family Wealth Myths Debunked: [00:08], [17:21], [39:47]
Pet Otter and Family Lore: [05:11]-[07:09]
Divorce & Parental Memories: [10:00]-[15:39]
Childhood Jobs & Hustle: [40:43]-[41:52]
Bedwetting Correction: [21:03]-[21:17], [66:17]-[66:41]
Sibling Schoolyard Bribery: [31:07]-[31:35]
Discussion of Mom’s Death & Assisted Suicide: [52:51]-[56:16]
Loss of their Father & The Hawk: [57:01]-[57:56]
Getty Family Reflections: [61:14]-[64:53]
Dyslexia & JFK Library Encounter: [72:20]-[73:07]
Reflections on Honesty & Memoir: [73:18]-[73:38]

Tone and Language

The conversation is lively, fast-paced, sometimes chaotic, and full of sibling banter. It alternates between humor, nostalgia, candor, and deeply emotional reflection, offering both warmth and rawness and ensuring their family’s true story is not lost behind public persona or political narrative.

Summary Takeaways

This episode paints a far more nuanced and challenging picture of the Newsoms' youth than public myth suggests.
The siblings’ rapport is simultaneously sharp, affectionate, and revealing, allowing both laughter and moments of vulnerability.
Family history is messy, and the memoir — as Hilary’s fact-checking makes clear — is a launching pad for deeper truth, not the last word.
In the end, the episode is both a corrective to media narratives and a tribute to the family’s resilience, love, and perpetual willingness to call each other out with compassion and humor.

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And, This Is How We Were Really Raised with Gavin's Sister Hilary