10 Photos of Ashley St. Clair: Quick Facts, Age and Her Explosive Custody Row With Elon Musk

Ashley St. Clair never planned to become one of the most talked about women on the internet, yet one post from Elon Musk turned her life into a global spectacle, turning a private family matter into a high stakes legal and cultural storm that has drawn in politics, artificial intelligence and one of the richest men alive.

Ashley St. Clair is a 27 year old writer, influencer and conservative commentator who built her profile through sharp political takes and cultural commentary on X, where she has more than 1.1 million followers. She is also a longtime contributor to the satirical outlet The Babylon Bee and the author of the children's book Elephants Are Not Birds, which she once described as an unapologetic challenge to transgender acceptance.

A Controversial Career

Her career has not been without controversy. In 2019, she stepped down as a brand ambassador for Turning Point USA after being photographed alongside white nationalist figures. Despite the backlash, she remained a prominent online voice, praised by supporters for her blunt style and criticised by opponents for her views.

That public persona shifted dramatically last year when she revealed she had given birth to a child fathered by Elon Musk. In a post that stunned social media, she wrote, 'Five months ago, I welcomed a new baby into the world. Elon Musk is the father.' She explained that she had kept the birth private to protect her child, but decided to speak after learning that tabloid media were preparing to publish the story regardless.

Custody Battle Turned Child Into Public Property

Within hours of Ashley's announcement, Musk responded on X, saying he was unsure if the child was his but was open to confirming it. He also claimed he had already given her £2 million (approximately $2.6 million) and would continue to provide around £400,000 (approximately $528,000) a year. Ashley pushed back, accusing him of refusing to confirm paternity while using money as leverage.

For months, the situation remained publicly unresolved, until Musk reignited the row with a shocking post. Responding to comments about Ashley's recent remarks on gender identity, he wrote, 'I will be filing for full custody today, given her statements implying she might transition a one year old boy.'

The statement sent shockwaves through both the tech world and social media. Supporters of Musk framed it as a father stepping in to protect his child, while others accused him of weaponising Ashley's views in a deeply personal dispute.

Ashley has said she went public about their son only after realising that the story would break anyway. She urged the media to respect her child's privacy and avoid turning a baby into a spectacle, yet the battle has now become one of the most closely watched celebrity custody fights in years.

Elon Musk's Custody Threat

Nearly ten months after naming Musk as the father, Ashley surprised many followers by posting a heartfelt apology for her past remarks about transgender people. In one message, she wrote, 'I feel immense guilt for my role. And even more guilt that things I have said in the past may have caused my son's sister more pain.'

The reference was widely understood to point to Musk's transgender daughter. Ashley said she had been trying privately to learn and advocate for people in the trans community she had hurt.

It was these comments that Musk later cited as the reason for seeking full custody, claiming they suggested she might transition their son. Critics argued that this was a misrepresentation of her apology, while supporters said it raised genuine concerns.

The apology marked a major shift in Ashley's public stance and added another layer of complexity to a dispute that already blended politics, family and power.

AI Scandal That Pushed the Conflict to Breaking Point

As if the custody row was not enough, Ashley became the centre of a disturbing controversy involving Grok, the artificial intelligence image tool built into X and owned by Musk's company xAI.

She revealed that users had been using Grok to create sexualised images of her without consent, including altered photos from when she was a minor. 'Photos of me of 14 years old, undressed and put in a bikini,' she said, describing how the tool kept producing explicit content even after promising to stop.

Ashley said she had first seen a prompt asking Grok to put her in a bikini. When she objected, the tool replied that the post was 'humorous.' From there, the images escalated into deepfakes and videos that she described as degrading and frightening.

Musk later wrote that anyone using Grok to make illegal content would face consequences, and X's safety team said it would remove posts and suspend accounts. Yet xAI did not respond to requests for comment about Ashley's specific claims.