Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently made controversial remarks about his estranged transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, claiming that she was “killed” by the gender-affirming care she received, which he criticized as “child mutilation and sterilization.” Musk’s comments were made during an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson.
Musk alleged that he was misled into consenting to gender-affirming procedures for Wilson, who came out as transgender at the age of 16. He recounted how he felt pressured to sign documents concerning his child’s care, attributing part of the confusion to the pandemic. He stated, “I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys.”
Musk further argued that such procedures should not be performed on minors, emphasizing his agreement with Peterson’s view that it is “incredibly evil” and suggesting that those who support such measures should face imprisonment. He claimed he was not adequately informed that puberty blockers could lead to sterilization, although it is noted that puberty blockers themselves do not impact fertility.
In addition, Musk’s comments came shortly after he announced that companies under his leadership, including X and SpaceX, planned to relocate to Texas, attributing the move to dissatisfaction with California’s AB1955 law, which restricts parental notifications regarding a child’s identification as transgender. Musk has faced accusations of promoting transphobia in the past.
Wilson, in a 2022 court filing, changed her name and sought a new birth certificate, expressing a desire to dissociate from Musk. Reports indicate that Musk attributes the rift in their relationship to her progressive education in Los Angeles. Notably, Musk’s political views have shifted considerably in recent years, moving from center-left to align more closely with conservative viewpoints, including endorsing the Republican presidential ticket of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.