SpaceX Flight Attendant Says Elon Musk Exposed Himself, Propositioned Her For Sex, And Offered Her a Horse

The incident occurred in 2016, according to a declaration prepared by a friend of the attendant in support of her claim. The declaration and other documents, including email correspondence and other records shared with Insider by the friend, were used to create this story.

According to the affidavit, the flight attendant told a friend that once she got the position as a flight attendant, she was encouraged to earn a massage certification so she could provide Musk massages. Musk propositioned her during one of these massages in a private cabin on Musk's Gulfstream G650ER, she told a friend.

Musk emailed Insider after being asked for comment, requesting further time to respond, and said there is "a lot more to this story."

"If I were inclined to engage in sexual harassment, this is unlikely to be the first time in my entire 30-year career that it comes to light," he wrote, calling the story a "politically motivated hit piece."

Insider extended the time and offered Musk another chance to respond to the allegations. He remained silent.

"I'm not going to comment on any settlement agreements," SpaceX vice president of legal Christopher Cardaci said when reached by phone. Requests for comment sent to SpaceX's general media contact email address were not answered.

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According to the declaration, the flight attendant told her friend that the billionaire SpaceX and Tesla founder invited her to his room during a flight in late 2016 "for a full body massage." Musk was "completely naked except for a sheet covering the lower half of his body" when the attendant came. Musk "exposed his genitals" during the massage, according to the declaration, and then "touched her and offered to buy her a horse if she would 'do more,' referring to the performance of sex acts."

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The attendant, who is a horse rider, declined and continued the massage without indulging in any sexual activity. The acquaintance declared that the attendant "is not for sale." "She will not conduct sexual favors in exchange for money or presents." During a flight to London, the incident occurred.

The friend described the charges as "he whipped out his penis, it was erect." "And he started proposing to her, touching her thigh and promising to purchase her a horse. And he tried to bribe her into doing anything sexual."

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The attendant told the friend about the wrongdoing while they were on a hike together shortly after the London trip, according to the friend. The attendant was distraught and extremely scared, according to the friend. "She was very upset," remarked a friend. "She had no idea what to do."

After she turned down Musk's advances, the flight attendant told a friend that works dried up. "She saw Mr. Musk as someone to look up to before the incident," the declaration reads. "However, she was overwhelmed with anxiety as he exposed himself, touched her without permission, and offered to pay her for sex."

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"She figured things could just go back to normal and she would pretend as nothing happened," the friend told Insider. "However, she started to feel as if she was receiving some sort of retaliation where her shifts were cut back, and she was starting to feel stressed."

The attendant eventually felt "pushed out and punished for refusing to prostitute herself," according to the declaration.

After becoming certain that her rejection to accept Musk's offer had harmed her chances at SpaceX, the attendant engaged a California employment lawyer and filed a formal complaint with the company's human resources department in 2018. Around that time, the law firm contacted the friend and requested that she prepare a declaration verifying the claims.

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After a meeting with a mediator that Musk personally attended, the attendant's issue was immediately settled. The case was never heard in a court of law or arbitration. Musk, SpaceX, and the flight attendant reached a severance settlement in November 2018, with the attendant receiving a $250,000 payment in exchange for a promise not to litigate over the claims.

The contract also included non-disclosure and non-disparagement clauses prohibiting the attendant from discussing the severance payment or sharing any information about Musk or his companies, including SpaceX and Tesla.

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"I felt a responsibility to come forward with it, especially now," she said. "He is the richest man in the world. Someone with that level of power causing that kind of harm and then throwing some money at the situation, that's no accountability. There are predators all over the world. But when someone is particularly wealthy and powerful, they have systems that are like a machine working for them, to set them up to be able to do whatever they want."

The friend claimed that remaining silent would make her complicit. "You do become a part of that system when you choose to remain silent," she said. "You become a part of the machine that allows people like Elon Musk to keep doing the horrible things he's done."

At least six women have sued Musk's company, Tesla, alleging sexual harassment at a Tesla factory. According to the accusations, men at the factory ogled women and commented on their clothing, prompting some women to dress in baggy attire and utilize stacks of boxes to block the views of leering coworkers. When they came forward, some of the women said they were retaliated against.

According to Insider, if anyone else has been mistreated by Musk, she hopes they will come forward and tell their experience publicly. She stated that if there are any more victims, "I'd like to see them come forward. I believe the truth should be revealed."