Vivian Wilson, the daughter of Elon Musk and Justine Wilson, recently opened up about her experiences with her parents’ reactions when she came out as transgender. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Vivian shared that her mother, Justine, was far more supportive than her father, Elon Musk.
Vivian, 20, explained that her mother, a published writer, was immediately accepting of her gender identity when she came out in 2020. “She was very supportive of my transition,” Vivian said. “When I came out to her, she was like, ‘Yeah, that figures.’ She kind of pieced it together, so when I came out, she pretended to be slightly surprised for 30 seconds and then was like, ‘Yeah, honey. Okay.'”
In contrast, Vivian’s experience with her father, Elon Musk, was more challenging. She revealed that she hadn’t spoken to him in months and needed his parental consent for medical treatments like testosterone blockers and hormone replacement therapy. “He was not as supportive as my mom,” Vivian said.
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Vivian came out publicly through an Instagram story where she wrote, “I’m trans. She/her pronouns.” She also included a playful reference to the Hunger Games series, humorously adding, “Are you Team Peeta or are you Team Gale?”
Vivian reflected on the emotional turmoil she faced during her transition. She shared that she had been struggling deeply, experiencing mental breakdowns and feelings of hopelessness. “I was constantly having mental breakdowns in the middle of class. I could not get through days. I didn’t want to wake up,” she said. “If I stay in the closet anymore, this is going to take me down a very destructive path.”
Although Vivian now regrets sharing her identity on social media before informing her mother, she expressed that her relationship with Justine is strong and supportive. “She’s been supportive of the choices that I have made in college, about being public,” Vivian said.
Regarding her father, Vivian and Musk remain estranged. Vivian denied Musk’s past claim that he was “tricked” into allowing her to undergo transgender-related medical treatments when she was 16, calling it a “lie.” She also recalled how her father was mostly absent during her childhood, stating, “He was there, I want to say, maybe 10% of the time.”
At present, Vivian’s relationship with her mother is positive, but her relationship with Elon Musk remains distant. A request for comment from a representative of Musk was not returned.