The relationship between Elon Musk and conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair has moved from online flirtation to a highly publicised custody battle. What began as a digital exchange on X in 2023 has since escalated into legal disputes over their son, Romulus, born in September 2024.
Now, Musk has announced that he will seek full custody of Romulus following St. Clair's public apology for past transphobic remarks. Their relationship has drawn widespread attention due to Musk's global profile and the complex intersection of politics, family and social media.
Ashley St. Clair and Elon Musk's Relationship
Ashley St. Clair, 27, is a conservative commentator and writer known for her outspoken views on politics, culture, and social issues. She built her following through social media, along with published work that reflects her political perspective.
According to St. Clair, her relationship with Musk started around May 2023 when he 'slid' into her direct messages on X. 'Musk was very funny. He was smart. He was very down to earth,' she said. 'It started with X interactions and he slid into my DM's. I think it was a meme.'
Their first in-person meeting came when St. Clair flew to San Francisco to interview him for The Babylon Bee, a conservative satirical outlet that she was working for at the time. After the interview, Musk invited her to Providence, Rhode Island, where their romance reportedly began.
Ashley St. Clair and Elon Musk's Son, Romulus
In January 2024, during a trip to St. Barts, the couple conceived their son, Romulus. He was born in September 2024. St. Clair initially kept the child's existence private, citing concerns for his safety and normalcy.
On Valentine's Day 2025, she revealed Romulus publicly via an X post: 'Five months ago, I welcomed a new baby into the world. Elon Musk is the father,' and captioned her post with the Latin phrase 'Alea lacta est' (The die is cast).
Alea Iacta Est pic.twitter.com/gvVaFNTGqn
— Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) February 15, 2025
St. Clair later claimed on a podcast that she was facing serious financial difficulties after Musk allegedly cut monthly payments from £74,400 ($100,000) to £29,760 ($40,000), and then to £14,880 ($20,000). The influencer also said that Musk was absent during Romulus's birth and had only met him a handful of times. Musk has not offered any public commentary about their relationship.
Musk's Custody Bid
The situation escalated in January 2026 when Musk declared on X that he would file for full custody of Romulus. His statement followed St. Clair's apology for past transphobic remarks, which she said had caused pain to Musk's transgender daughter, Vivian.
'I will be filing for full custody today, given her statements implying she might transition a one-year-old boy,' Musk wrote on X.
I will be filing for full custody today, given her statements implying she might transition a one-year-old boy
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 12, 2026
St. Clair, however, had made no such claim. Instead, she was responding with remorse to another X post who asked her to address her 'blatant transphobia' in the past. 'I feel immense guilt for my role. And even more guilt that things I have said in the past may have caused my son's sister more pain,' she wrote, referring to Vivian.
I feel immense guilt for my role. And even more guilt that things I have said in the past may have caused my son’s sister more pain. Idrk how to make amends for many of these things but I have been trying incredibly hard privately to learn + advocate for those within the trans…
— Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) January 11, 2026
St. Clair added that she had been working privately to learn and advocate for the transgender community, acknowledging that her apology might still be framed as 'right-wing hysteria'.
The custody battle remains unresolved. Musk has taken legal steps to pursue full custody. St. Clair has yet to respond to his latest statements, leaving the future of their co-parenting arrangement uncertain.
