Olivia Wilde has voiced strong resentment towards Elon Musk, describing him as a "creature" and stating she would "never have predicted" the path his public life has taken. Wilde, 42, shared her sentiments on The Louis Theroux Podcast, recalling a time she met Musk years ago at the SpaceX headquarters in Los Angeles.
At the time of their meeting, Wilde noted that Musk was involved in a project to build hospitals and schools in Haiti, an organization she was part of and appreciated his "little bit of money" donation. However, she expressed confusion over his character, stating, "I was confused by him. I would never have predicted he would go down the path he has gone down. He did seem really smart."
Wilde's criticism extends to Musk's public statements, particularly those related to population and gender dynamics. She cited his remarks about global underpopulation and the idea that humanity could "handle another billion people," which she believes are linked to misogynistic viewpoints.
She connected these views to the incel community, which she has previously described as "disenfranchised, mostly white men, who believe they are entitled to sex from women." Wilde elaborated on her past labeling of psychologist Jordan Peterson, who played a character in her directorial debut "Don't Worry Darling" that Wilde said was inspired by him. While she characterized her prior description of Peterson as a "pseudo-intellectual" as "unfair," she suggested his philosophy, when expressed in a "buttoned-up version," is echoed by thinkers like Andrew Tate and weaponized by the incel community, contributing to a sense of entitlement and potentially influencing political outcomes.
"I was disturbed by what I saw as this misogyny that was being weaponized and leading us to elect Donald Trump twice and beyond that just empower these groups of people who I think are dangerous," Wilde stated. She views the underlying philosophy as rooted in deep misogyny and empowering dangerous groups.
Jordan Peterson had previously responded to Wilde's remarks about him in an interview with Piers Morgan, defending his engagement with "disaffected men" and questioning the term "incel."