Ashley St. Clair says she rejected an alleged $40 million nondisclosure agreement after giving birth to Elon Musk’s child, choosing instead to speak publicly in a new documentary about the billionaire.
WEBDESK – MEDIABITES
Elon Musk’s former partner Ashley St. Clair says she walked away from an alleged $40 million payout — and the silence that came with it — to participate in a new documentary examining the world’s richest man.
St. Clair discussed her decision Tuesday at the Venice Film Festival, where she appeared alongside Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney and tech journalist Zoë Schiffer to promote Musk, a nearly four-hour documentary about the controversial tech billionaire.
According to St. Clair, rejecting the alleged nondisclosure agreement allowed her to tell her story publicly after giving birth last year to Musk’s 13th child.
She said she wanted her children to learn that financial comfort should not come at the expense of speaking the truth.
“I hope the risk that I’m taking now in speaking out and trying to fight back at least helps a little bit,” St. Clair said.
St. Clair, 28, previously gained prominence as a right-wing commentator who promoted conservative and anti-trans political views. At the Venice press conference, she said she now regrets promoting those beliefs, attributing them partly to her youth and the people around her at the time.
Gibney said fear was a recurring theme while making the documentary. He said many people who knew Musk, including critics, colleagues and friends, declined to speak with him.
The filmmaker said the project began in 2023, initially as a shorter film, but expanded as Musk became increasingly involved in the political career of former U.S. President Donald Trump and the broader American political landscape.
Musk himself declined to participate in the documentary and has previously described the project as a “hit piece.”
The film portrays Musk in sharply critical terms, challenging the image of him as a visionary technology genius and examining his influence through companies and ventures including SpaceX, Tesla, X and xAI.
Gibney described Musk as “very dangerous” and expressed concern about what he characterized as Musk’s lack of empathy.
St. Clair went further, saying she believes Musk’s apparent lack of empathy is deliberate rather than accidental.
Musk premieres Tuesday at the Venice Film Festival.
