Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently expressed controversial views regarding his estranged transgender daughter during an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson. Musk described his daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, as having been “killed” after receiving gender-affirming care, which he denounced and referred to as “child mutilation and sterilization.” Wilson came out as transgender at age 16 and underwent gender-affirming treatment during the pandemic.
Musk shared that he felt misled when he signed consent documents related to her care, stating that he was concerned at the time about her mental health and the potential risk of suicide. He criticized the practice of assigning gender identity to children “who are far below the age of consent” and aligned himself with Peterson’s view that such practices are “incredibly evil.”
He claimed that he was not adequately informed that puberty blockers are essentially sterilization drugs, despite the fact that these medications do not directly impact fertility on their own. Musk voiced his belief that these issues have led to a significant personal loss, referring to the term “deadnaming” as reflective of this loss: “Your son is dead,” he said.
These statements came shortly after Musk announced that his companies, including X and SpaceX, would relocate to Texas due to California’s AB1955, which restricts parental notification when children identify as transgender and mandates resources for LGBTQ+ youth. Musk has faced accusations of promoting transphobic rhetoric in the past.
In 2022, Wilson legally changed her name and sought a new birth certificate, indicating her desire to disconnect from her biological father. Musk has attributed their fractured relationship to the progressive education she received in Los Angeles. His complicated dynamic with Wilson has been suggested as a factor fueling his current political stance, which has shifted from center-left to more right-wing viewpoints in recent years.