Elon Musk’s transgender daughter, in first interview, says he berated her for being queer as a child
Vivian Jenna Wilson, the transgender daughter of Elon Musk, revealed in her first interview that her father was an absent and cruel figure during her childhood, particularly due to her queer and feminine identity.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Wilson, 20, responded to Musk's recent comments about her and her transgender identity. On social media and in an online interview, Musk claimed she was “not a girl,” called her “figuratively dead,” and alleged he was "tricked" into authorizing her trans-related medical treatment at 16.
Wilson refuted Musk's claims, stating he was fully aware of the consent he provided for her treatment. She asserted that Musk's recent statements crossed a line.
“I think he was under the assumption that I wasn’t going to say anything and I would just let this go unchallenged,” Wilson said. “Which I’m not going to do, because if you’re going to lie about me, like, blatantly to an audience of millions, I’m not just gonna let that slide.”
Wilson described Musk as an unsupportive father, often absent, leaving her and her siblings to be cared for by their mother or nannies despite his joint custody. She recounted his harsh behavior, including berating her for exhibiting feminine traits and pressuring her to appear more masculine, even pushing her to deepen her voice in elementary school.
“He was cold,” she said. “He’s very quick to anger. He is uncaring and narcissistic.”
Wilson recounted a specific incident in fourth grade during a road trip that turned out to be an advertisement for one of Musk's cars, where he relentlessly yelled at her for her high-pitched voice.
Musk did not respond to a request for comment.
Wilson and her twin brother were born to Musk’s first wife, author Justine Musk. The couple divorced in 2008, and Wilson said her parents shared custody in the Los Angeles area.
Musk, 53, is among the wealthiest people in the world, holding stakes in Tesla and SpaceX, and has become a significant political figure, recently endorsing former President Donald Trump. Musk has 12 children, including Wilson.
Wilson, now a college student studying languages, had never granted an interview before and largely stayed out of the public eye. She attracted attention in 2022 when she sought court approval in California to change her name and denounced her father in the process.
“I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form,” she stated in the court filing.
Wilson told NBC News that she stands by her court statement, though she might have been more eloquent had she anticipated the media attention.
She hasn’t spoken to Musk in about four years and refuses to be defined by him. “I would like to emphasize one thing: I am an adult. I am 20 years old. I am not a child,” she said. “My life should be defined by my own choices.”
Musk brought Wilson into the spotlight on Monday in a video interview with psychologist Jordan Peterson, where he expressed his disapproval of her gender identity, used her deadname, and claimed she was “killed by the woke mind virus.” He also alleged that Wilson was “born gay and slightly autistic” and fit certain gay stereotypes as a child.
Wilson disputed these anecdotes and addressed Musk’s comments on Threads, stating, “He doesn’t know what I was like as a child because he quite simply wasn’t there. And in the little time that he was I was relentlessly harassed for my femininity and queerness.”
Wilson also highlighted Musk’s shift towards conservative politics and his campaign against transgender rights. This month, Musk announced he was pulling his businesses out of California in protest of a new state law protecting trans kids' privacy in schools.
Wilson’s transgender transition motivated Musk’s political stance, he admitted to Peterson. He vowed to combat the “woke mind virus” following her transition, claiming some progress in this effort.
Wilson criticized Walter Isaacson’s biography of Musk for being inaccurate and unfair to her, particularly its description of her politics as “radical Marxism.” Wilson clarified that while she opposes wealth inequality, she is not a Marxist. She also mentioned that Isaacson did not contact her directly before publication.
Wilson decided to speak out after Musk’s recent comments, revealing her father's minimal presence in her life. “He was there, I want to say, maybe 10% of the time. That’s generous,” she said. “He had half custody, and he fully was not there.”
Wilson came out twice in her life: first as gay in eighth grade and later as transgender at 16. She recalled Musk’s indifferent reaction to her coming out as gay and wasn’t present when he learned of her transgender identity due to the pandemic.
The pandemic allowed her to avoid Musk’s cruelty, she said. “When Covid hit, I was like, ‘I’m not going over there.’ It was basically very lucky timing.”
Wilson refuted Musk’s claim that he was “tricked” into signing documents for her transgender-related medical treatment, emphasizing he knew the full side effects. She described the treatments as lifesaving and necessary for her well-being.
“They save lives. Let’s not get that twisted,” she stated.
Wilson believes the current requirements for obtaining such treatments are overly burdensome, with teens needing to prove extreme risk of self-harm to be approved. She expressed frustration at being judged for not being at a high enough risk in some people's eyes.
“I have been basically put into a point where, to a group of people, I have to basically prove whether or not I was suicidal or not to warrant medically transitioning,” she said. “It’s absolutely mind-boggling.”
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