In a recent revelation by The Wall Street Journal, a former intern at SpaceX has come forward with a narrative of her brief romantic involvement with the company's CEO, Elon Musk.
The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, reportedly met Musk during her internship at the space exploration company in the early 2010s, while she was still a college student.
According to The Business Insider, the woman claimed that she had initially approached Musk with suggestions for enhancing SpaceX's operations. This led to a date where the duo reportedly bonded over "Star Wars" and shared a kiss. The Journal's report further stated that Musk later flew the woman to Sicily to visit him at a resort, citing documents as evidence.
In 2017, Musk personally reached out to the woman to discuss a potential role on his executive staff. She continued to work at SpaceX until 2019, leaving the company after an executive she reported to was included in a layoff, as per her statement to the Journal through her lawyers.
However, the woman, in affidavits provided by her lawyers, clarified that she had no "romantic relationship" with Musk during her employment at SpaceX from 2017 to 2019. "Nothing that Elon Musk did towards me during either of my periods of employment at SpaceX was predatory or wrongful in any way," she stated. Interestingly, the woman's lawyers also represented Musk, and the affidavits confirmed that she had previously had a romantic relationship with the SpaceX CEO.
Sources close to the woman and her friends revealed to the Journal that she had visited Musk at his home multiple times during her employment at SpaceX. The Journal reported that lawyers representing both the woman and Musk sent legal letters demanding her removal from the article. She also reportedly advised her friends against speaking to reporters.
Representatives for Musk and SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours, by the time of publication. Business Insider was unable to contact the woman for comment.
This revelation comes at a time when SpaceX has been under the microscope following reports of sexual harassment within the company. Earlier this year, seven former SpaceX employees claimed that executives discriminated against women and made light of sexual harassment. These allegations were detailed in California civil-rights complaints.
Musk himself has faced personal accusations of sexual misconduct. In May 2022, Business Insider reported that SpaceX paid a former flight attendant $250,000 in 2018 after she accused Musk of sexually harassing her. Musk, however, denied the claims and labeled the story as false.
Login