Influencer Ashley St Clair who claims to have a son with tech billionaire Elon Musk has challenged Elon Musk's claims regarding a paternity test, stating that he previously refused her request. The dispute escalated after Musk claimed he had given her $2.5 million in financial support despite not being certain whether he fathered her son.
Musk met St Clair when she was 24 and he was 51. The controversy began on February 14, when St Clair alleged she had given birth to Musk's 13th child. She has since accused Musk of cutting child support payments as retaliation, a claim she reiterated today.
Musk responded on X, saying he is uncertain about paternity but is open to taking a test. He stated, "I don't know if the child is mine or not, but I am not against finding out. No court order is needed. Despite not knowing for sure, I have given Ashley $2.5M and am sending her $500k/year."
St Clair refuted his statement, claiming Musk had previously declined a paternity test before the child was born. She also alleged that he withdrew most child support payments to maintain control over her.
"Elon, we asked you to confirm paternity through a test before our child (who you named) was even born. You refused," St Clair wrote on X. "And you weren't sending me money, you were sending support for your child that you thought was necessary... until you withdrew most of it to maintain control and punish me for 'disobedience.' But you're really only punishing your son."
St Clair also accused Musk of using his platform to discredit her while trying to silence her legally. "It's ironic that your last effort in court was to try to gag me while you use a social media channel you literally own to distribute derogatory messages about me and our child to the entire world. It's all about control with you, and everyone can see it."
She concluded with a direct attack: "America needs you to grow up, you petulant man-child."
The dispute gained further attention when St Clair sold her Tesla Model S for $100,000 through Carvana. The sale came just a day before the global Tesla Takedown protest. St Clair said she made the decision after Musk cut her child support by 60%.
"I need to make up for the 60% cut that Elon made to our son's child support," she told a reporter while handing over the car keys in Manhattan.
St Clair had originally purchased the Tesla for $120,000 but decided to offload it at a discount in protest against Musk's alleged financial retaliation. The sale happened amidst declining Tesla stock prices, adding further scrutiny to the ongoing controversy.
When asked whether she believed Musk was being vindictive, she responded, "That's his modus operandi when women speak out. You can check the stocks, I'm not the only one who is cleaning up after his messes."
In February, St Clair filed a paternity and custody lawsuit in a New York court, claiming Musk abandoned her and the child. Reports indicate that Musk had asked her to keep the baby a secret, but after she went public, he slashed payments.
St Clair has two children, including a three-year-old son from a previous relationship. Some supporters of Musk speculated that the Tesla she sold was a gift from him, though there is no confirmation.
Musk, who has 14 children with four women, has yet to take a paternity test. He has six children with his first wife, Justine Musk, three with singer Grimes, and four with Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis, including twins and two born in 2024.
