In February 2025, Ashley St. Clair, a notable MAGA influencer, stirred headlines by announcing the birth of her child, claiming that Elon Musk is the father of her 13th child. Following this revelation, Ashley’s legal team informed PEOPLE that the Tesla CEO reacted to her custody petition filed in New York by adjusting financial support.
Karen Rosenthal, a member of Ashley’s legal representation, disclosed:
“Elon Musk has financially retaliated against his own child and reduced his financial support substantially and unilaterally. He did this after Ashley was forced to bring this matter to court, when he refused to respond to her many private attempts to resolve this matter without publicity.”
Additionally, it emerged that Musk sought an emergency court order to limit Ashley’s ability to speak publicly about their situation. Although the court rejected the emergency aspect of his request, a final decision regarding the matter is still pending.
In her remarks, Rosenthal highlighted Ashley’s determination to defend her right to speak freely about the situation. She criticized Musk for his actions, underscoring the irony of him portraying himself as a “First Amendment warrior”while attempting to silence others. She remarked:
“Given that Mr. Musk is dedicated to transparency in government, it would be helpful if he administered his own life by the same principles,”Ashley’s attorney asserted.
An In-Depth Look at Ashley St. Clair’s Custody Petition
The public dispute between Musk and St. Clair escalated after Ashley’s February 14, 2025 tweet, where she revealed the birth of her child five months prior, citing a desire to protect the child’s safety and privacy as her reason for withholding the news.
Acknowledging media speculation, Ashley felt compelled to confirm the news to mitigate rumors circulating in the tabloid press.
On February 21, 2025, she formally initiated custody and paternity proceedings in the New York Supreme Court, asserting that New York is the legal home of her child, identified as R.S.C. In the legal documents, she named Musk as the child’s father.
Additionally, Ashley stated that Musk was absent during R.S.C.’s birth and had only met his child three times, expressing that he had not participated in his care or upbringing.
According to the court filing, Ashley detailed that her relationship with Musk began in May 2023, leading to R.S.C.’s conception in January 2024.
“Ashley St. Clair has filed paternity and custody petitions to protect the best interests of her child. She has made every effort to collaborate with Mr. Musk before taking this step. She has no further comment on the contents of the petitions, which speak for themselves.”
Reports from March 21, 2025, indicated that Elon Musk had engaged a lawyer to represent him in the custody matter after facing accusations for not acknowledging the filings promptly.