Elon Musk’s first wife is opening up about their troubled marriage — and she is making some explosive claims about life behind closed doors with the billionaire.
Justine Musk, 54, appears in filmmaker Alex Gibney’s new documentary Musk, where she alleges that her relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO taught her firsthand what “gaslighting” meant.
“I learned the term ‘gaslighting’ through my relationship with Elon,” Justine says in the documentary, according to reports.
She claims Musk, 55, regularly made her feel insignificant and spoke to her as though she were an employee rather than his wife.
“He was constantly remarking on the ways he found me lacking,” she said.
Justine also recalled a stunning moment from their wedding, claiming Musk told her during their first dance that he was the “alpha” in their relationship.
The couple married in 2000 and had six children together before divorcing in 2008. Their first child, Nevada Alexander Musk, died from sudden infant death syndrome at just 10 weeks old.
Justine has rarely spoken publicly about the marriage in recent years, but her new comments echo claims she made in a revealing 2010 Marie Claire essay, where she famously referred to herself as Musk’s “starter wife.”
In that essay, Justine said she slowly lost her sense of identity as Musk’s wealth and influence grew.
“I had turned into a trophy wife — and I sucked at it,” she wrote.
When the marriage finally ended, Justine said she struggled with intense anger toward both Musk and herself.
She said she was furious at Musk for making her feel “disposable” and angry with herself for believing in what she described as a fairy tale.
The allegations are now resurfacing as part of Gibney’s nearly four-hour documentary, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 8. The film examines Musk’s personal life, business empire and enormous political and cultural influence. Musk declined to participate and has previously dismissed the project as a “hit piece.”
But Justine is not the only former partner speaking out.
Ashley St. Clair, 28, who shares a son with Musk, also appears in the documentary and claims she rejected a staggering $40 million offer connected to a nondisclosure agreement that would have kept her from speaking publicly.
“I was offered the opportunity not to speak for $40 million,” St. Clair said during a Venice Film Festival press conference.
She explained that turning down the money was about showing her children that financial security should not come at the expense of speaking openly about what she believes is the truth.
St. Clair had already made similar claims about Musk before the documentary.
After the two reportedly began a relationship in 2023 and welcomed their son the following year, St. Clair said Musk offered her a large financial arrangement tied to keeping details about their child private.
According to previous reporting, she claimed the proposal included a $15 million lump-sum payment along with $100,000 per month until their son turned 21.
St. Clair said she rejected the arrangement because she did not want her child growing up feeling as though he had been treated like a secret.
Once known as a prominent conservative influencer, St. Clair has also publicly distanced herself from some of her earlier political activism. At the Venice press conference, she reflected on getting involved in Republican politics as a teenager after meeting Charlie Kirk and said she now regrets aspects of her former activism.
Her appearance alongside Justine Musk gives the documentary an unusually personal look at the billionaire from two women who were once intimately involved with him.
Musk, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, also includes interviews with Musk’s father Errol Musk, Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard, journalist Kara Swisher and other figures who have crossed paths with the billionaire.
The documentary is scheduled for a U.S. theatrical release on Oct. 16.
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