Scientology: San Francisco wonders where mayor left his heart

Call it Sex and The City by the Bay. San Franciscans’ fascination with their not-yet-divorced mayor and his love life is peaking again after recent reports have linked him with “CSI: Miami” star Sofia Milos.

It wouldn’t be such a big deal — Newsom and wife-TV host Kimberly Guilfoyle filed for divorce early last year — except that Milos is an advocate of the Church of Scientology. Newsom tagged along with her last weekend to an annual Beverly Hills dinner put on by a group co-founded by Scientologists that advocates against the use of psychiatric drugs.

Back to his love life: Newsom and Milos were introduced at the Feb. 19 wedding of the son of former Supervisor Angela Alioto, who counts Milos as a family friend. Alioto, playing Cupid, says she had been trying to hook them up since Thanksgiving.

While some questioned the wisdom of an up-and-coming mayor cavorting with a supporter of Scientology — especially after Scientologist Tom Cruise lashed out at Brooke Shields over her use of prescribed drugs to combat postpartum depression — others shook their heads at all the tongue-wagging.

Scientology controversial? “So is the Catholic Church,” shot back Alioto, of which she and Newsom are members.

“Gavin needs to be with someone and she needs to be with someone,” Alioto said Wednesday, calling Milos’ Scientology links “totally irrelevant.”

Plus, Alioto said, they can take the heat. Of course, this is the same mayor that, in happier times with Guilfoyle, was willingly photographed lying with her on the floor of the Getty mansion for Harper’s Bazaar.

By Wednesday, bloggers in Los Angeles were also having a field day.

“Pretty much every guy in this town could go on for hours about all the stupid things they did just to (have sex with) an actress,” opined L.A.-based Defamer.com.

Closer to home, San Francisco’s SFist.com joked that Mayor Newsom’s Care Not Cash homeless program might be renamed “Care Not Lithium.”

By late afternoon, though, news of two tiny quakes and more photos of Barry Bonds in drag had eclipsed the love news on the Web site.

“San Francisco pretends to be above gawking at celebrities,” said PR consultant Alex Clemens.

“But when it comes to obsession about the love life of a public official, how quickly we are to abandon that facade.” As for Newsom, his spokesman said he had no comment.

And the Scientology link, for some, pales in comparison with the personal life of a former flamboyant mayor. In 2001, then-Mayor Willie Brown had a child out of wedlock with his chief fundraising coordinator, which he announced in a press release.

“Mayor Brown was more open about his love life,” laughed former Brown spokesman P.J. Johnston, “but no less controversial.”

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