Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a virtual appearance during a private hearing in a paternity and custody case filed by Ashley St. Clair on Thursday, May 29. The conservative influencer, who alleged to have given birth to Musk’s child, has filed a legal petition for custody. According to a Daily Mail report, Musk appeared on-screen wearing a dark suit jacket in a Manhattan courtroom while his lawyers, Alyssa Rower and Jennifer Isaacman, were present in person. The hearing comes hours later the tech billionaire announced his exit from DOGE, making his courtroom appearance even more unexpected.
St. Clair sues Musk over child support, alleged ghosting
St. Clair, 26, filed the lawsuit in February, claiming that Musk had asked her to keep the birth of their child a secret. She alleges that after initial talks about child support, Musk cut off contact, forcing her to seek legal action.
Following Thursday’s two-and-a-half-hour hearing, St. Clair was seen smiling as she left the courtroom with her attorneys, Dror Bikel and Karen B. Rosenthal. She wore a modest navy-blue sweater with a pleated skirt and a beige coat. Her lawyers declined to comment when approached by reporters.
The hearing was held in Part 44 of the New York Supreme Court before Judge Jeffrey Pearlman. Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the judge ordered the proceedings sealed — a move first granted on March 14 at the request of Musk’s legal team, limiting what St. Clair can publicly discuss about the case.
Elon Musk exits from Trump administration
As mentioned above, the court session came less than 24 hours after Musk announced he was quitting his advisory role in the Trump administration. Taking to social media platform X, Musk wrote “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
St. Clair sues Musk over child support, alleged ghosting
St. Clair, 26, filed the lawsuit in February, claiming that Musk had asked her to keep the birth of their child a secret. She alleges that after initial talks about child support, Musk cut off contact, forcing her to seek legal action.
Following Thursday’s two-and-a-half-hour hearing, St. Clair was seen smiling as she left the courtroom with her attorneys, Dror Bikel and Karen B. Rosenthal. She wore a modest navy-blue sweater with a pleated skirt and a beige coat. Her lawyers declined to comment when approached by reporters.
The hearing was held in Part 44 of the New York Supreme Court before Judge Jeffrey Pearlman. Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the judge ordered the proceedings sealed — a move first granted on March 14 at the request of Musk’s legal team, limiting what St. Clair can publicly discuss about the case.
Elon Musk exits from Trump administration
As mentioned above, the court session came less than 24 hours after Musk announced he was quitting his advisory role in the Trump administration. Taking to social media platform X, Musk wrote “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
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