If you’ve been scrolling through X lately—or literally any corner of the internet where billionaires and drama collide—you’ve probably seen the name Ashley St. Clair (sometimes typed as Ashley Sinclair by those still catching up) popping up next to Elon Musk. Honestly, it's a lot to keep track of. One day they’re talking about "rocket babies," and the next, there’s a full-blown legal war over custody and AI deepfakes.
It's messy. It's public. And it's very "Elon."
The story basically broke wide open in early 2025 when St. Clair, a conservative influencer and author, claimed she’d secretly given birth to Musk’s 13th child. People were shocked. Some were skeptical. But as of 2026, the dust has settled on the "is he the father?" question—paternity tests don't lie—and we’re now watching a high-stakes fallout that feels more like a tech-thriller than a celebrity gossip column.
The Secret Pregnancy and the "Romulus" Reveal
For a long time, this was all hush-hush. Ashley St. Clair allegedly met Musk back in 2022 around the time he was acquiring Twitter (now X). Rumor has it they connected over a meme—because of course they did—which led to a DM and eventually an interview. According to St. Clair, that professional interaction spiraled into what she described as a "secretive affair."
She spent most of her pregnancy hiding under oversized sweaters and staying out of the camera's path. Why? She says Musk wanted it kept quiet for "security reasons."
But secrets have a shelf life in New York and Silicon Valley. By February 2025, she went public, claiming she was forced to "out" herself before the tabloids did it for her. A few months later, the world got a name: Romulus. It’s a classic Musk-style name—mythological, grand, and a little bit intense.
Money, NDAs, and "Disobedience"
Things got ugly fast. St. Clair alleged that Musk offered her $15 million and $100,000 a month to keep the whole thing under wraps. Musk, in his typical fashion, didn't exactly confirm the romance but did post on X about "side quests" and later claimed he was sending $500,000 a year in support despite "not knowing for sure" if the kid was his.
St. Clair’s response? She called him a liar on his own platform.
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She claimed he actually cut their son’s support by 60 percent as a way to "punish her for disobedience." It’s a wild accusation, but it paints a picture of a relationship that went from "building a legion of children" to total legal warfare in record time.
Why the 2026 Custody Battle is Different
Fast forward to right now, January 2026. The drama isn't about child support anymore. It's about ideology.
Elon Musk recently announced he’s filing for full custody of Romulus. The reason? He’s claiming that St. Clair’s recent public apology to the transgender community implies she might "transition a one-year-old boy."
It’s a massive leap. St. Clair hasn’t actually said anything about her son transitioning. She basically just admitted her views on gender identity had evolved, citing guilt over how her past rhetoric might have hurt Musk’s other children—specifically his daughter, Vivian, who is trans and famously estranged from him.
The Current Legal Landscape:
- Paternity is confirmed: A New York court-ordered test showed a 99.9999% probability that Musk is the father.
- The "Transition" Claim: Musk is using his "anti-woke" platform to argue that St. Clair is an unfit mother based on her shifting political leanings.
- The Grok Lawsuit: To make matters even more complicated, St. Clair is currently suing Musk’s AI company, xAI.
The Dark Side of the Drama: The Grok Deepfake Suit
This is where the story gets really dark and, frankly, pretty futuristic in a bad way. St. Clair filed a lawsuit in New York alleging that Musk’s AI, Grok, was used to generate "sexually explicit and degrading" deepfake images of her.
She’s not just talking about adult photos. The filing claims the AI generated images of her as a minor and even added tattoos to the images with derogatory phrases like "Elon’s whore."
It’s a bizarre situation: she’s the mother of one of his children, yet she’s suing his company for allegedly "retaliating" against her by demonetizing her X account and allowing an AI tool to harass her. Musk’s defense has been that users are responsible for what they create, not the platform. But for St. Clair, it feels like a targeted digital assault.
Breaking Down the Musk Family Tree (As of 2026)
With Romulus in the mix, the Musk family tree is a labyrinth. If you're trying to keep score, here's the breakdown of the 14 known children:
- With Justine Wilson: Nevada (tragically passed away), twins Griffin and Vivian, and triplets Kai, Saxon, and Damian.
- With Grimes: X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl, and Techno Mechanicus (Tau).
- With Shivon Zilis: Twins Strider and Azure, and a third child born in early 2024.
- With Ashley St. Clair: Romulus, born in late 2024.
It’s a lot of kids. And apparently, a lot of different parenting philosophies clashing at once.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often think this is just about a "gold digger" or a "crazy billionaire." Honestly, it’s more complex. St. Clair was already an established voice in the "New Right" media scene before any of this happened. She wasn't an unknown.
On the flip side, Musk’s obsession with birth rates isn't a secret. He’s been preaching about the "population collapse" for years. In his head, having 14 children might be a "civilizational imperative." In reality, it’s led to a string of custody battles and public spats that make the Kardashians look low-key.
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Actionable Takeaways from the Mess
If there's anything to learn from the Ashley St. Clair and Elon Musk saga, it’s about the intersection of privacy, power, and new tech.
- Protect your digital likeness: The Grok lawsuit highlights how vulnerable anyone—even those with "connections"—is to AI-generated harassment. If you’re a public creator, look into services that monitor for deepfakes.
- NDAs aren't bulletproof: If you’re entering a high-stakes personal or professional agreement, remember that "going public" is often the only leverage the less powerful party has when things go south.
- Watch the custody laws: The fact that a parent's political or ideological shift is being used as grounds for "unfitness" in 2026 is a massive red flag for family law. It’s a precedent that could affect way more than just billionaires.
The legal battle over Romulus is just starting to heat up in the New York courts. Between the paternity confirmation and the deepfake lawsuits, this isn't going away anytime soon. Keep an eye on the New York Supreme Court filings—that's where the real truth usually ends up landing.
Next Steps for You:
Check the official court filings in the New York State Unified Court System (NYSCEF) under St. Clair v. xAI for the latest on the deepfake proceedings. If you're following the custody case, look for updates regarding the "paternity and support" hearings, which are often handled in family court with limited public access but frequently leak through verified legal correspondents on social media.