Elon Musk and Ashley St. Clair’s custody fight has taken a new turn, and this time it all traces back to something Ashley said online. Her recent comments about transgender rights have suddenly pulled their toddler son into the spotlight and have turned it into a public conflict.
Now Musk says those words have crossed a line. And now, he is ready to take a step that could change everything for their family. But the backstory of this decision is far more complicated.
Elon Musk Announces Full Custody Bid After Ashley’s Trans Rights Posts
On Monday, Jan. 12, Elon Musk said on X that he plans to file for full custody of the son he shares with St. Clair, who gave birth in September 2024. He made the announcement after another user suggested he should step in following St. Clair’s public support for the transgender community. Musk wrote, “I will be filing for full custody today, given her statements implying she might transition a one-year-old boy.”
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He made it clear that her comments about trans rights were the reason he decided to take legal action. At the same time, St. Clair never said she planned to have their son transition. Her posts focused on saying sorry for earlier transphobic remarks and owning the harm those words caused. Still, Musk treated those comments as serious enough to change the course of their custody fight.
Ashley St. Clair’s Trans Rights Apology That Triggered Musk’s Reaction
Over the weekend, St. Clair replied to a user on X who called out her past “blatant transphobia.” Instead of pushing back, she owned her past comments and explained why she felt the need to speak up now.
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St. Clair wrote, “I feel immense guilt for my role. And even more guilt that things I have said in the past may have caused my son’s sister more pain,” referring to Musk’s transgender daughter, Vivian. She said she has been trying privately to learn more and support the trans community.
St. Clair added, saying, “I don’t really know how to make amends for many of these things. But I have been trying incredibly hard privately to learn and advocate for those within the trans community that I’ve hurt.” She also admitted she had avoided speaking publicly because people would see it as “disingenuous.” Those comments later became the reason Musk pointed to when he announced his custody move.
This clash over trans rights sits atop an already bitter custody and financial dispute between Musk and St. Clair. Back in August, she said she was in a legal battle with Musk and described the past year of her life as “unplanned career suicide.” She discussed this in the first episode of her podcast, ‘Bad Advice‘. There, she spoke up about facing eviction and said a $10,000 Polymarket ad deal helped her stay housed.
Money and paternity have remained a major source of conflict between Musk and St. Clair. Musk previously denied claims that he punished St. Clair by cutting off financial support. In March, he wrote on X that even though he was “not knowing for sure” the child was his, he had still provided money. “I’ve given Ashley $2.5M and am sending her $500k/year,” Musk said.
Musk has now made St. Clair’s support for trans rights the main reason behind his push for full custody. While she says she is trying to learn from her past and do better, he claims her new position puts their child at risk.
