Conservative author and influencer Ashley St. Clair appeared in a Manhattan courtroom Thursday in her ongoing paternity and custody battle over Elon Musk’s secret infant son.
New York Supreme Court Judge Jeffrey Pearlman sealed the proceedings after St. Clair, her attorneys and Musk’s legal team arrived in court Thursday morning. Musk was not physically present for the hearing, though it’s not clear if he appeared remotely.
St. Clair is suing Musk for custody of her son, “R.S.C.,” the 13th child born to the billionaire.
Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk offered St. Clair $15 million and monthly payments of $100,000 to keep their newborn child a secret, which she rejected, and that a DNA test confirmed the Tesla owner’s “probability of paternity” is 99.9999%. The Journal also reported the boy’s name was Romulus.
St. Clair announced the boy’s birth in a post on Musk’s X in February.
“Five months ago, I welcomed a new baby into the world. Elon Musk is the father,” she wrote. “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. 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.”
On March 31, Musk posted, “I don’t know if the child is mine or not, but am not against finding out. No court order is needed. Despite not knowing for sure, I have given Ashley $2.5M and am sending her $500k/year.”
According to People magazine, Musk’s lawyers will be allowed to argue Thursday why he shouldn’t be forced to grant St. Clair sole custody or be forced to take a paternity test, and both sides will argue over whether Musk should pay child support.
The court appearance comes just hours after Musk — who donated $288 million to the Trump campaign and spearheaded the gutting of government agencies and massive federal job cuts — left the Trump administration.
Musk expressed disappointment with the GOP’s massive funding bill, though his public profile and business portfolios have taken a hit as protestors continue to target Tesla and blast him as a Nazi sympathizer.
