Tesla CEO Elon Musk made controversial remarks about his transgender daughter during a recent interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson. Musk claimed that his daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, was “killed” by the gender-affirming care she received, leading him to express his intention to “destroy the woke mind virus.”
Musk referred to gender-reassignment surgery as “child mutilation and sterilization.” He shared that Wilson came out as transgender at 16 and received gender-affirming care during the pandemic. “I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys,” he stated, indicating that he was unaware of the full implications at the time.
He expressed concern about children receiving such care before they reach the age of consent and agreed with Peterson that promoting such practices is “incredibly evil,” suggesting that those who do should face imprisonment. Musk also claimed he was not informed that puberty blockers could lead to sterilization, although medical experts clarify that puberty blockers do not directly cause infertility.
Musk further stated, “I was tricked into doing this. I lost my son, essentially. They call it ‘deadnaming’ for a reason. The reason they call it ‘deadnaming’ is because your son is dead.”
These remarks come shortly after Musk announced that his companies, including X and SpaceX, would relocate to Texas, partly due to California’s AB1955 legislation, which restricts parental notification regarding a child’s transgender identification in schools and aims to support LGBTQ+ youth.
Musk’s relationship with his daughter has been strained; she formally applied for a name change in 2022, indicating her desire to no longer be associated with her biological father. His perceived disconnect with Wilson has been described in various reports as influencing his increasing anti-woke rhetoric.
Once known for his more centrist political stance, Musk has shifted toward right-wing viewpoints on several issues, including diversity, election fraud, and immigration, most recently endorsing the Republican presidential ticket of Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance.