What started as a flirty exchange online has now exploded into one of the most talked-about celebrity custody battles of the year. Elon Musk and conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair have gone from private messages on X to a very public legal fight over their young son, Romulus, with Musk now seeking full custody amid growing controversy.
The tech billionaire recently announced that he plans to file for full custody of the child he shares with St. Clair, escalating a dispute that has quickly drawn global attention. The move came after St. Clair publicly apologized for past transphobic remarks—comments she acknowledged may have hurt Musk’s transgender daughter, Vivian. Musk, however, framed the apology as something far more alarming.
In a post on X, Musk claimed he was seeking full custody after statements that he said implied St. Clair might “transition a one-year-old boy.” That assertion immediately sparked backlash, as St. Clair never made such a claim. Instead, she had been responding to criticism of her previous rhetoric, expressing remorse and saying she was actively trying to educate herself and advocate privately for the transgender community.
The relationship between Musk and St. Clair dates back to 2023, when St. Clair says Musk first reached out to her through direct messages on X. What began as memes and online banter eventually led to an in-person meeting when St. Clair traveled to San Francisco to interview Musk for The Babylon Bee, a conservative satirical outlet she was working with at the time. According to her, the connection deepened soon after, with Musk inviting her to Rhode Island, where their romantic relationship reportedly took shape.
In early 2024, the two traveled together to St. Barts, where their son, Romulus, was conceived. He was born in September 2024, though St. Clair initially kept his existence private, citing safety concerns and a desire to shield him from public scrutiny. She eventually revealed the news on Valentine’s Day 2025, confirming Musk as the father in a post that instantly went viral.
Since then, St. Clair has claimed their co-parenting relationship has been strained. She alleged that Musk significantly reduced financial support over time and said he was absent during Romulus’s birth, meeting the child only a few times. Musk has not publicly addressed those claims.
Now, with Musk formally pursuing full custody, the situation has escalated into a legal and cultural flashpoint—blending celebrity, politics, gender identity, and family law. St. Clair has not yet responded directly to Musk’s custody announcement, leaving the future of their parenting arrangement uncertain as the case moves forward.
