$2,500 handbag, $500 sneakers & a spa stop: California First Lady's Beverly Hills shopping trip sparks backlash amid LA protests

As protests over immigration raids gripped Los Angeles, California First Lady
Jennifer Siebel Newsom
's
Beverly Hills shopping
excursion on Monday, June 9, 2025, ignited controversy on social media.
Photos of Siebel Newsom, wife of Governor
Gavin Newsom
, show her shopping at the ultra-luxurious One Beverly Hills complex—home to upscale spas and wellness centers—while much of Los Angeles faced civil unrest. She was spotted wearing $500 Common Projects sneakers and carrying a $2,500 Goyard tote bag.
Her outing came at a tense moment: National Guard troops and Marines were deployed to the city by President Donald Trump amid
anti-ICE demonstrations
, clashes with law enforcement, and widespread looting. A body was even discovered outside a ransacked store Tuesday morning.
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The governor's office quickly responded to the viral images, clarifying that the First Partner had not received a spa treatment but was picking up skincare products tied to a prior skin cancer diagnosis. "The First Partner didn't have a spa treatment yesterday, but she does have a prior skin cancer diagnosis and was picking up skin care products on her personal time," a spokesperson said.
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Notably, Siebel Newsom had previously revealed her skin cancer battle in 2023.
Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom has condemned Trump's use of military force in Los Angeles, calling it a 'brazen abuse of power.' Both he and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have demanded that federal troops be withdrawn from city streets.
— E_Barcohana (@E_Barcohana)
President Trump, meanwhile, described Los Angeles as 'a trash heap' during a speech to U.S. troops in North Carolina, vowing to "liberate" the city. He has already ordered the deployment of nearly 5,000 troops to Los Angeles, with reports suggesting discussions are underway about extending the military presence to other U.S. cities.
A city-wide curfew imposed by Mayor Bass took effect at 8 p.m. Tuesday in downtown LA, as federal forces—now including National Guard troops escorting ICE agents—continued raids across the city. California officials had previously sought to restrict troop activity to the downtown federal complex where protests have been concentrated, but an emergency court order to that effect has so far failed to halt the expansion.
As unrest and political tensions escalate, the viral images of California's First Lady in Beverly Hills have added yet another layer to an already volatile situation.

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