E-Paper
Ashley St. Clair says ‘my children's dignity is not a commodity’ as she speaks out in new interview on Elon Musk, NDA and MAGA
Former conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair details her transition to democratic socialism and rejecting a $40-million package from Elon Musk.
Prefer HTon Google
Former right-wing influencer Ashley St. Clair has officially broken her silence, detailing a dramatic political evolution and exposing the high-stakes private world of tech billionaire Elon Musk.
St. Clair spoke to CNN Senior Correspondent Donie O'Sullivan in a recent interview and the 28-year-old opened up about her decision to reject a massive payout in exchange for her silence. The revealing discussion aired as part of a CNN special report titled "MAGA Ever After?" on The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper.
St. Clair, who shares a one-year-old son named Romulus with the Tesla founder, revealed that she has entirely abandoned the MAGA movement. Instead, she has embraced democratic socialism.
The interview comes amid the theatrical release of Alex Gibney’s explosive four-hour documentary, Musk, in which St. Clair serves as a central voice.
Also read: Musk steps up Starlink push in India, says ‘competition would benefit average citizen’
Turning down millions for silence
One of the revelations in the interview centered around a massive non-disclosure agreement (NDA) presented by Musk’s legal team. St. Clair claimed she was offered a $15 million upfront lump sum, supplemented by $100,000 per month over 21 years. The total value of the package would have surpassed $40 million.
The NDA would have barred her from speaking about Musk or their relationship for eternity. The restrictions would have even legally bound her heirs. Under the proposed deal, she could tell Romulus who his father was, but could never disclose it to her other child or the public.
St. Clair refused to sign the contract. She noted that the proposal came via disappearing messages on the encrypted app Signal.
"I told him my children's dignity is not a commodity," St. Clair said in a separate interview with the New York Times. Musk later disputed these claims on X, asserting she was never offered such an agreement.
Also read: Elon Musk asks why Starlink still lacks India licence, gets a reply from Rahul Gandhi
Leaving MAGA Behind
Beyond her personal life, St. Clair addressed her total departure from right-wing circles, where she once commanded over one million followers.
She described her political transition as happening "slowly and then all at once," as she talked about the rampant misogyny and racism within the movement.
She spoke about how breaking away from Musk meant experiencing "nuclear" blowback from the conservative establishment. St. Clair told O'Sullivan that many men in the MAGA movement are desperately searching for someone else to blame. She argued they need to reckon with how Donald Trump "duped" them.
Furthermore, she expressed deep remorse for her past transphobic and inflammatory commentary. She admitted feeling immense guilt for her role in right-wing propaganda campaigns.
St. Clair also defended progressive figures like left-wing streamer Hasan Piker against conservative attacks. She labeled the right-wing fixation on Piker a "distraction" from actual progressive policy. Clips of her remarks have already caused a buzz
