Gavin Newsom Finally Responds To Rumors Over His Whereabouts

His two-week disappearance from the public eye sent his political opponents into overdrive, but California Governor Gavin Newsom finally emerged at the 2021 California Economic Summit in Monterey, looking refreshed (via YouTube) and with an explanation for his departure that most parents with four children under the age of 12 (via NBC Bay Area) can get behind: he needed to spend more time with his family. 

During the Economic Summit, Newsom confessed that the last few years — never mind — the last few months, haven't been easy. Aside from facing down the coronavirus pandemic which saw two of his children test positive, Newsom also had to face a state recall election which he overwhelmingly won. He then got ready to take his wife to the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland — then his children decided they had enough. 

"The kids literally kind of had an intervention. They couldn't believe that I was going to miss Halloween ... I'm defending myself. And my wife was going to go as well," he told audiences sheepishly. Once his children made their feelings known, he confessed that he had gone to bed and began the following day with "something that is probably familiar to a lot of parents: that knot in your stomach. I had no damn choice," he said. "I had to cancel that trip," (via People). 

Instead of going to Glasgow, Governor Gavin Newsom said he spent the time he was MIA "catching up after a pretty intense period of time with the family, myself, my team — and it's been probably the most productive week I've had since I've been governor," he shared (via People).

Newsom's absence had triggered all manner of speculation and controversy, with opponents claiming on social media that he was being treated for a side effect arising from the COVID-19 vaccine. "If Gavin Newsom is suffering from a serious medical condition as a result of a vaccine booster the public has an absolute right to know. If this is really about saving lives, then give the public information they need to make an informed medical decision," one Twitter user had proclaimed before the California governor returned to the public eye.

One of his staunchest defenders was his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who in a Tweet alluded to the fact that her husband was doing what most normal people were doing, which was going about his daily routine. "It's funny how certain folks can't handle truth. When someone cancels something, maybe they're just in the office working; maybe in their free time they're at home with their family, at their kids' sports matches, or dining out with their wife. Please stop hating and get a life," she had said before the tweet disappeared — and the governor reappeared (via The New York Times).