Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently made controversial statements regarding his estranged transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, during an interview with psychologist Jordan Peterson. Musk claimed that his daughter was “killed” after receiving gender-affirming care, which led him to declare his mission to “destroy the woke mind virus.”
He described gender-reassignment surgery as “child mutilation and sterilization,” stating that Wilson, who came out as transgender at 16, received gender-affirming care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Musk expressed regret, saying he felt misled into signing documents related to his child’s care, mentioning he was concerned for her mental health at the time.
Musk criticized the practice of providing such care to children who are below the age of consent, agreeing with Peterson’s assertion that it is “incredibly evil,” and suggested those endorsing it should face imprisonment. He claimed that puberty blockers were not adequately explained to him, asserting they were essentially sterilization drugs, although the use of puberty blockers themselves does not typically affect fertility.
His comments come shortly after he announced that his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, would relocate to Texas in response to California’s new legislation concerning transgender students’ rights in schools. Musk has faced accusations of transphobia and anti-trans messaging in the past.
In 2022, Wilson applied for a name change to distance herself from Musk, stating in court she no longer wants to be associated with him. Musk has suggested her progressive education in Los Angeles is responsible for their fractured relationship, which he believes has influenced his stance on various social issues. Over the years, Musk has shifted from center-left politics to adopting more right-leaning perspectives on issues like diversity initiatives, election fraud, and immigration, recently endorsing the Republican party’s presidential candidates.