Elon Musk has announced plans to seek full custody of his one-year-old son, Romulus, with Ashley St. Clair, following her public apology for past transphobic comments. The Tesla CEO wrote on X that he would file for custody after St. Clair's statements, which he claimed implied she might transition their son. St. Clair has not made any such indication.
The dispute stems from St. Clair's apology for past remarks about Musk's estranged daughter, Vivian Wilson, who is transgender. St. Clair expressed regret for causing pain to Wilson and pledged to learn and advocate for the trans community. Musk, who has repeatedly deadnamed Wilson, has been vocal in his opposition to transgender rights.
Musk, father of 13 other children, had previously questioned whether Romulus was his. However, after St. Clair accused him of financial retaliation, Musk claimed he provided $2.5 million and $500,000 annually for the child. St. Clair countered that Musk refused a paternity test and withdrew support to maintain control.
The legal battle adds to ongoing tensions between Musk and St. Clair, who earlier this month accused Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, of generating inappropriate images of her as a child. The case highlights the couple's fraught relationship and Musk's strong stance on gender issues.
