Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made controversial remarks regarding his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, claiming she was “killed” due to the gender-affirming care she received. During an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson, Musk expressed his determination to “destroy the woke mind virus,” while criticizing gender-reassignment surgery, which he called “child mutilation and sterilization.”
Musk revealed that Wilson, who does not use his last name, came out as transgender at the age of 16 and received gender-affirming care during the pandemic. He stated that he felt misled into supporting medical decisions concerning his children, expressing regret about signing documents without fully understanding their implications. He indicated that he had been concerned for Wilson’s mental health during that time, fearing she might be at risk of suicide.
The CEO voiced strong opposition to providing such medical treatments to minors, agreeing with Peterson’s assertion that it is “incredibly evil” and suggested that anyone promoting such practices should face imprisonment. Musk also stated that he was not made aware that puberty blockers could act as sterilization drugs, despite evidence that puberty blockers alone do not affect fertility.
In his remarks, Musk lamented, “I was tricked into doing this. I lost my son, essentially,” highlighting his feelings of loss associated with Wilson’s transition. Musk’s comments come amid his decision to relocate Tesla and his other companies to Texas, following legislation in California known as AB1955, or the SAFETY Act, which restricts parental notification regulations regarding transgender identity in schools.
Musk’s relationship with his daughter has been strained, with Wilson seeking a name change and a new birth certificate in 2022, expressing her desire to sever ties with him. Musk has attributed the distance in their relationship to the progressive educational environment in Los Angeles.
In the past few years, Musk has shifted from a center-left political stance to align more closely with right-wing views on various issues, including diversity and election integrity. Recently, he publicly supported the Republican presidential ticket of former President Donald Trump and Senator J.D. Vance, both of whom advocate for traditional energy sources and oppose clean energy initiatives.