Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made headlines with his controversial remarks regarding his estranged transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson. During an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson, Musk claimed that his daughter was “killed” following her gender-affirming care. He stated this has motivated him to combat what he describes as the “woke mind virus.”
Musk’s comments focused on his views regarding gender-reassignment surgery, which he labeled as “child mutilation and sterilization.” He revealed that Wilson came out as transgender at the age of 16 and received gender-affirming treatments during the pandemic. Musk expressed regret over signing documents related to her transition, mentioning he felt misled at the time, particularly under the overwhelming circumstances of COVID-19, which included concerns for his child’s mental health.
He criticized the process of administering such treatments to minors who are not yet of legal consent, echoing Peterson’s views that those advocating for it should face imprisonment. Musk alleged that he was unaware that puberty blockers could be categorized as “sterilization drugs,” even though these blockers do not inherently affect fertility.
Musk claimed, “I lost my son, essentially,” lamenting the use of the term “deadnaming” which implies the loss of his child’s previous identity. These remarks follow his recent decision to relocate X and SpaceX to Texas due to California’s legislation prohibiting schools from requiring parental notification when a child identifies as transgender.
In 2022, Wilson sought a name change and requested to sever legal ties with Musk, stating she did not want to be connected to him in any manner. Musk has previously suggested that progressive education in Los Angeles contributed to their estrangement, which some believe informs his recent anti-woke rhetoric.
The billionaire entrepreneur has shifted his political positions over recent years, steering away from his previously centrist stance toward supporting right-wing issues, including criticism of diversity initiatives and statements regarding election integrity.