California Governor Gavin Newsom's past relationship with Brittanie Mountz, who was 19 when they began dating in 2006, has resurfaced, bringing renewed attention to the governor's personal history. The relationship, which lasted a few months, was characterized by a significant age gap and garnered public attention, leading to the couple being nicknamed 'Mountsome.'
At the time, Mountz, then a college student studying psychotherapy at Sonoma State University, was reportedly spotted with a glass of wine at a political event, a detail that drew a terse response from Newsom's office. An image of Mountz with a wine glass and her arm around Newsom, taken at the San Francisco Symphony's season opener, was subsequently removed.
Mountz, who has since legally changed her name to Rae, is now 39 and works as a couples and relationship therapist. She offers online appointments in the Bay Area and spends much of her time in Mexico with her partner, Mexican actor Andrés B. Durán. Durán, 34, has appeared in the LGBTQ-themed podcast series Con Lugar and the Apple TV crime drama Archivo Muerto.
Mountz experienced a divorce in 2022 from her former husband, therapist Bryan Newman, after an 18-month marriage. According to court documents, Newman initiated the split citing irreconcilable differences, and both parties waived spousal support.
Mountz, who has never publicly discussed her relationship with Newsom, describes on her therapy website how her own past trauma and suffering led her to study psychology and pursue a career in therapy, seeking to provide a safe space for healing and growth.
Newsom, 58, has also faced scrutiny over another past relationship with Ruby Rippey-Gibney, who detailed their affair in 2005. Newsom has since married Jennifer Siebel, a former actress, and they have four children. Mountz was not mentioned in Newsom's memoir.
