Author Ashley St. Clair is reportedly suing billionaire Elon Musk for sole custody of their alleged child.
St. Claire, best known for her children’s book Elephants Are Not Birds, filed a petition with the New York Supreme Court for custody of the child on Friday, February 21, according to SCOOP, who first reported the filing. In the court filings, reviewed by the publication, the author alleges that Elon Musk is the father of her child — though he “has only met him three times.”
“[Musk] has met him only three (3) times and has no involvement in his care and upbringing,” the petition reportedly states. The petition also claims the boy, who goes by R.S.C., was born in September 2024.
In addition to filing for sole custody, St. Claire also reportedly filed a paternity petition.
Ashley St. Clair Claims Elon Musk Told Her to Keep Their Alleged Baby a Secret
In court filings, St. Claire reportedly claims that she and Musk engaged in a “romantic relationship in or about May 2023.” Additionally, she claims they had intercourse and their alleged son was conceived in January 2024.
Musk has allegedly “acknowledged parentage of the child in various written correspondences,” St. Claire claims, according to the reported filing. The author also alleged that she exchanged text messages with Musk about their child after he was born, and that she sent a photograph of the child to Musk.
“I look forward to seeing you and him this weekend,” she claims Musk responded, per the reported docs. According to People, a screenshot of the alleged text message exchange was included in the petition.
St. Claire also claims that Musk acknowledged that the child was his when discussing safety concerns. “If I make a mistake on security, [R.S.C.] will never know his father,” she claims Musk said — something she describes in the court filing as ‘another acknowledgment of parentage.’
On February 14, St. Claire claimed via X that she had welcomed Musk’s 13th child five months prior.
Elon Musk’s Estranged Daughter Says She Found Out About New Sibling Online
“Five months ago, I welcomed a new baby into the world. Elon Musk is the father,” she wrote at the time. “I have not previously disclosed this to protect our child’s privacy and safety, but in recent days it has become clear that tabloid media intends to do so, regardless of the harm it will cause.”
She added, “I intend to allow our child to grow in a normal and safe environment. For that reason, I ask that the media honor our child’s privacy, and refrain from invasive reporting.” Alongside the post, St. Clair wrote “Alea Iacta Est,” which translates to “The die is cast.”
Musk has not publicly acknowledged or responded to St. Claire’s claims. Us Weekly has reached out to Musk for comment.
Days later, on February 15, St. Claire claimed via a representative that her and Musk were working towards an amicable parenting agreement.
“Ashley & Elon have been privately working towards the creation of an agreement about raising their child for some time,” Brian Glicklich, a representative for St. Clair, said in a statement shared via X. “It is disappointing that a tabloid reporter, who repeatedly ambushed Ashley and her family, made it impossible to complete that process confidentially. We are waiting for Elon to publicly acknowledge his parental role with Ashley, to end unwarranted speculation, and Ashley trusts that Elon intends to finish their agreement quickly, in the best interests of the wellbeing and security of the child they share.”
Musk is already a father to 12 other children. Most recently, Bloomberg reported in June 2024 that Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis reportedly welcomed their third baby together.
The pair previously welcomed twins Strider and Azure in November 2021.
Musk also has six children with ex-wife Justine Wilson. Musk and Wilson, 51, who were married between 2000 and 2008, share twins Vivian and Griffin, both 20, and triplets Kai, Saxon and Damian, all 18. The exes also shared son Nevada, who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at 10 weeks old. Musk also shares three children with the singer Grimes.
