Justine Wilson is describing the private parenting dispute behind Elon Musk’s estrangement from their daughter, Vi”maternal spam.”
The author joined filmmaker Alex Gibney on the Oct. 8 episode of On with Kara Swisher, where she discussed their family and her participation in his documentary, Musk.
Justine and Elon met while attending Queen’s University in Canada and were married from 2000 to 2008. They had six children together, including their first son, who died in infancy.
Musk declined to comment on the interview, according to the podcast’s description.
She Says Her Texts Urged Musk to Accept Vivian
Justine told Swisher that she could see father and daughter heading toward a confrontation. She sent lengthy texts asking Elon to recognize who Vi
She said she wanted her children to have the best possible relationships with their father and tried to preserve that opportunity. Fatherhood mattered deeply to her, she explained, but she felt Elon had little interest in her parenting advice.
His Consent to Vi
Justine said Musk’s decision to sign a consent form for Vincreased her respect for him
In a July 2024 interview with Jordan Peterson, however, Musk claimed he had been tricked into signing the paperwork. Justine told Swisher that she felt the comment was directed at her and wondered whether he was trying to provoke a response.
Vis that month, saying he knew about the treatment and its possible side effects. She said she would not let his public claims about her go unchallenged
In the documentary, Justine also alleges that Musk asked her to tell Vie the following day. PEOPLE reported that account in its coverage of the film
Justine Says She Did Not Want to Be ‘Intimidated Into Silence’
Several long conversations with Gibney helped Justine feel comfortable with his approach after she initially hesitated to participate in the documentary.
“I wanted to come out in support of Jenna, my daughter,” Justine said, using Vi
Although she remained nervous about speaking publicly, Justine said, “I didn’t want to be intimidated into silence.” She explained that she had waited until she felt ready to discuss what she had experienced.
Justine became emotional while describing watching her daughter face public scrutiny and isolation, briefly pausing to collect herself. As a writer, she said she was concerned about personal experiences being distorted as other people retold them.
In a March 2025 interview with Teen Vogue, Viory in 2020, two days before telling Justine directly. She said she regretted that order because her mother deserved to hear it first
Vited she was transgender. She also described her mother backing her decisions about college and public appearances, even when the attention caused Justine stress
In a separate conversation with Sasha Colby published that June, Vi more confident about femininity and gender expression
The 22-year-old has since starred in Desigual’s fall 2026 campaign, Born to Disobey. In a September interview with PEOPLE, she explained her objections to artificial intelligence’s effect on creative jobs and artistic expression.
‘Musk’ Expands Nationwide on Oct. 16
Gibney told Swisher that he began developing the documentary in 2022 and initially expected a much shorter film. The project expanded as Musk’s business and political activities gave the director more material to examine.
The finished film runs nearly four hours and includes interviews with people from Musk’s personal and professional life. Musk declined to participate and has publicly called the project a “hit piece.” Gibney incorporated a computer-generated representation of him using his recorded statements.
Musk opened in select theaters Oct. 9. Distributor Bleecker Street has scheduled its nationwide release for Oct. 16.
