Musk, St. Clair Skip Court Hearing Amid Child Support Negotiations
Lawyers for Elon Musk and Ashley St. Clair met in Manhattan court to negotiate child support payments for their son, Romulus.
Tech magnate Elon Musk and Ashley St. Clair, the mother of one of his children, were absent from a Manhattan court hearing Thursday, as their legal teams engaged in negotiations over child support. The meeting involved at least three attorneys representing Musk and three lawyers for St. Clair.
A source close to Musk's side expressed cautious optimism, stating, "The judge himself is very gracious." This source indicated that St. Clair is seeking a substantial settlement from Musk and that the lawyers are expected to return to court next week to finalize an agreement.
St. Clair, an author, initiated a lawsuit in February 2025, seeking to legally establish Musk as the father of their son, Romulus, and to gain sole custody. Court-ordered DNA testing has since confirmed Musk's paternity.
St. Clair has claimed in a recent documentary titled "Musk" that the SpaceX founder reduced her monthly child support payments from $100,000 to $20,000 after she declined to sign a non-disclosure agreement and publicly revealed the existence of their child. She also stated she faced eviction during this period.
Musk's legal team has asserted that he previously provided St. Clair with $2.5 million. According to reports, St. Clair claimed Musk offered her a lump sum of $15 million and $100,000 per month for 21 years, totaling $40 million, but she refused the offer because it included a confidentiality clause and she did not want her son to feel like a secret or his dignity to be compromised.
Musk has reportedly disputed this account, with The New York Times noting that he characterized the alleged offer as fabricated and pointed to St. Clair's "history of making false claims."
Musk, who has 14 children with four different women, and St. Clair reportedly began their relationship in 2023. St. Clair has stated that Musk expressed a desire for a large family, even texting her before their son's birth that he wanted "a legion of children before the civil war."
The next court hearing is scheduled for October 29.