Ashley St. Clair, who says she is the mother of one of Elon Musk’s children, accuses his longtime associate and financial adviser, Jared Birchall, of coercing postpartum mothers into signing documents. She made the claims in a question-and-answer session about the new Musk documentary, published on Friday, October 16, the day the film expanded to theaters nationwide. We have not seen a response from Musk or Birchall to her specific statements.
What she says
She says she was “very freshly postpartum” during a recorded call that appears in the film, and that she holds more contempt for Birchall than for others because of what she describes as his role in harassing her and other mothers of Musk’s children. She also says many others had similar experiences but were too scared or legally unable to speak.
What the director says
Director Alex Gibney says the film was checked by an independent fact-checker and that lawyers reviewed every frame. He says Birchall’s reply to the film team’s fact-checking request used the phrase “reckless disregard for the truth.” He also says Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, threatened to sue after the Venice premiere was announced, over material Gibney says is not in the film. Musk did not take part in the film.
Earlier claims
St. Clair has made other claims in recent weeks, including that she turned down a $40 million offer, which we covered in Ashley St. Clair Says She Turned Down a $40 Million Offer.
Our take: these are one person’s statements and one director’s account. Musk has called the film a hit piece, as we covered in Gibney’s Musk Film Goes Nationwide After Ad Fights and Insults. Until Birchall or Musk answers St. Clair’s specific points, only one side of this is on the record.
