Alex Gibney's new documentary features damning accounts from Musk's ex-partners about his treatment of women and children, painting a portrait of narcissism and manipulation.
By Adam Makins·
When Shivon Zilis announced her breakup with Elon Musk on X by sharing a screenshot of him unfollowing her, it seemed like another bizarre chapter in the billionaire’s chaotic personal life. But this casual social media revelation points to something far more troubling that emerges in filmmaker Alex Gibney’s sprawling new documentary, which hits theaters October 16. The film stitches together accounts from multiple women who’ve been close to Musk, and their testimonies paint a devastating portrait of a man whose power insulates him from consequences.
Justine Wilson, Musk’s ex-wife, provides some of the documentary’s most powerful moments. She recalls how after their infant son died from a SIDS-related condition, Musk posted on X about holding their dying child. When Wilson corrected him publicly, noting that she was the one holding their son, it highlighted something deeper: Musk’s need to control even the most sacred moments of grief.
Wilson also addresses Musk’s repeated claim that their transgender daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson was “killed by the woke mind virus.” The cruelty here isn’t subtle. After telling his ex-wife he would “always love” their daughter, Musk cut off her health insurance and admitted he’s “never tried to repair things” with her. In the documentary, Wilson explains how she learned the concept of gaslighting through her marriage to him.
“He was constantly remarking on the ways he found me lacking,” she says. When she reminded him she was his spouse, not an employee, he allegedly responded: “If you were my employee, I would fire you.”
Ashley St. Clair, a former conservative influencer, rejected a $40 million nondisclosure agreement that would have silenced her about her relationship with Musk. In the four-hour documentary, she describes a whirlwind affair that evaporated once she became pregnant. She alleges that Musk lost interest and sought to father children with other women, including cryptocurrency influencer Tiffany Fong, to whom he apparently messaged an offer to give her a child.
St. Clair’s account of Musk’s obsession with fathering a “legion” of children is backed by Wilson’s observation that he views the mothers of his children as replaceable “breeders.” This isn’t about love or partnership. It’s about control and biological ambition.
The documentary also covers custody disputes with both St. Clair and Grimes (Claire Boucher), as well as allegations that Musk retaliated against St. Clair by reducing financial support for their son when she wouldn’t comply with his wishes. When asked if she witnessed him using illegal drugs, St. Clair’s careful response, “I’m not at liberty to say,” speaks volumes.
Gibney’s film covers the expected ground: Mars ambitions, Tesla’s self-driving failures, and Musk’s pivot toward MAGA politics during the 2024 election. The runtime stretches nearly four hours, and honestly, it could have been a 10-part miniseries given how much territory needs covering. Yet what sets this documentary apart from standard tech biography fare is its unflinching focus on the personal.
Most viewers already know the Musk headlines. What’s revelatory is hearing directly from women who experienced his cruelty firsthand. These aren’t anonymous sources or speculation. These are people willing to go on camera and describe a pattern of manipulation, dismissal, and control.
Musk’s wealth and power have created a bubble where he’s become untouchable in boardrooms and government. But as Gibney demonstrates, money can’t buy everyone’s silence. Zilis’ cryptic X post about going “from in love to let go in a week with no warning” hints at what might come next if she, too, decides to speak more openly.
The question isn’t whether Musk can continue building companies or influencing politics. The question is whether the women he’s harmed will eventually crack the mythology he’s constructed around himself. For now, the documentary proves one thing definitively: his resources can’t silence everyone, and his aura of genius inventor-king is far more fragile than his power suggests.
Source: WIRED
