Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made controversial statements regarding his estranged transgender daughter, claiming she was “killed” after undergoing gender-affirming care. During an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson, Musk expressed his intention to combat what he calls the “woke mind virus.”
Musk criticized gender-reassignment surgery, referring to it as “child mutilation and sterilization.” He shared that his daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, received gender-affirming care amid the COVID-19 pandemic when she came out as transgender at the age of 16. He remarked that he felt misled into agreeing to documents concerning his daughter, indicating that he was influenced by concerns about her mental health at that time.
He emphasized that this medical process is affecting children who are not of legal consent age and expressed agreement with Peterson’s viewpoint that promoting such procedures is “incredibly evil,” suggesting that those who advocate for it should face imprisonment. Musk, a father to 12 children, stated that he was never informed that puberty blockers could lead to sterilization, despite these drugs not directly affecting fertility.
Musk lamented, “I was tricked into doing this. I lost my son, essentially,” adding that the term “deadnaming” reflects the permanent change brought about by such transitions.
These remarks come shortly after Musk announced that his companies, including X and SpaceX, will relocate to Texas, in response to California’s SAFETY Act, which restricts parental notification concerning transgender identification among minors. Musk has faced persistent accusations of promoting anti-trans rhetoric.
In 2022, Wilson legally changed her name and sought a new birth certificate, expressing her desire to sever ties with Musk entirely. He has attributed the estrangement to her progressive education in Los Angeles, with biographer Walter Isaacson noting that this fractured relationship fuels Musk’s anti-woke ideology.
Musk, who previously held centrist views, has increasingly aligned himself with right-wing rhetoric, voicing support for Republican candidates, including former president Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, both known for their opposition to clean energy initiatives.