This is Gavin Newsom And, This Is How We Were Really Raised with Gavin's Sister Hilary
Mar 14, 2026
Hilary Newsom, Gavin’s sister who fact-checks his memoir with wry clarity. They unpack family lore from Potter the otter to childhood embarrassments. They revisit parents’ separation, money struggles after the divorce, schoolyard bullying, and private decisions around their mother’s assisted death. Conversation mixes laughter, teasing, and candid recollections.
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The Family Otter Potter Cameo
- Gavin and Hilary recount Potter the otter as a vivid family memory that even predates Hilary's birth and appears in sepia photos.
- Potter chewed phone cords, hid keys in the couch, and Dad taught him to swim, underscoring their unconventional, activist household life.
Dad Bought Lunch At Safeway And Left The Assembly To Us
- Hilary tells a childhood story where Dad bought Wonder Bread, bologna and mustard from Safeway and left her to assemble her own lunch.
- She dumped the grocery bag at school lunch, shocking teachers but leaving groceries at home for the week.
Divorce Rooted In Debt Not In A Secret Fortune
- Gavin reframes their parents' separation as financial strain and personal breakdown, not wealth abandonment.
- Both recall Dad's failed campaigns, debt, and Mom's hustling multiple jobs and renting out rooms to make ends meet.
