Fact Check: Did Kurt Russell call Gavin Newsom 'slimy' and 'handsy' at an LA event?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: California Governor Gavin Newsom is widely seen as a potential Democratic candidate for president in 2028. A claim about Newsom has gone viral online.

The post alleged that Hollywood actor Kurt Russell criticized Newsom at a Los Angeles 'Meet the Actor' event. It further claimed that Russell and Newsom attended the same high school, where Newsom allegedly had a reputation as "slimy" and "handsy." Let's fact check the claim.

Claim: Kurt Russell called out Gavin Newsom at a Los Angeles event

The rumor originated from an X post claiming that actor Kurt Russell criticized Gavin Newsom during a 'Meet the Actor' event in Los Angeles.

It alleged that Russell and Newsom grew up in the same town and attended the same high school. According to the post, Russell described their relationship as strained, saying, “Yeah, Gavin and I grew up in the same town. Same high school. Let’s just say… we NEVER got along."

The post then made claims about Newsom's behavior during his school and college years. It claimed that female students knew Newsom as "slimy, handsy" and accused him of not keeping his hands to himself. The post did not provide evidence or identify any students who allegedly made these claims.

The viral post also linked Newsom to Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and claimed Russell made a comment about their relationship. It quoted Russell as saying, “I wasn’t even a little shocked when I found out he became Eric Swalwell’s personal wingman in the California legislature.”

The post ended by questioning Newsom's potential 2028 presidential ambitions and his support among Democrats.

Fact Check: Kurt Russell and Gavin Newsom did not attend the same high school

The claim was false and fabricated. The X post claimed that Kurt Russell criticized Gavin Newsom at a recent 'Meet the Actor' event in Los Angeles.

It said Russell and Newsom grew up in the same town, attended the same high school and never got along. It also claimed that girls at the school knew Newsom as the "slimy, handsy" guy and that his behavior became worse in college.

The post further claimed that Russell was not surprised when Newsom later became Eric Swalwell's "personal wingman."

However, Russell and Newsom did not grow up in the same town or attend the same high school. Russell was born in 1951, grew up in Thousand Oaks, California, and graduated from Thousand Oaks High School in 1969. Newsom was born in 1967, attended Redwood High School in Larkspur, California, and graduated in 1985.

The two men are 16 years apart in age. Russell was already an adult and working as an actor when Newsom entered high school.

There is also no evidence that the alleged event or comments took place. Searches for news reports, videos, interviews or other credible sources about a 'Meet the Actor' event where Russell made these comments found no supporting evidence.

The claim appears only in the circulating social media post and similar shares. The image used in the post also does not prove the claim. It combines a photo of Russell speaking into a microphone with an inset photo of Newsom. The image does not show Russell and Newsom together or document the alleged event.

Based on the available information, the viral claim that Russell made the alleged comments about Newsom at a Los Angeles event was false.