Elon Musk Ordered to Appear in New York City Court Amid Custody Dispute with Ashley St. Clair: Report

Elon Musk has been ordered to appear in court as Ashley St. Clair sues him for custody of their alleged child.

Per a report from People published on Friday, February 28, a new court filing states that lawyers for St. Clair, 26, requested the 53-year-old billionaire’s appearance at the New York County Courthouse in New York City on May 29. In court, his lawyers will have the chance to argue why Musk should be exempt from both taking a paternity test and providing St. Clair with sole custody of their alleged 5-month-old child, referred to by the initials R.S.C. in court documents.

New York Supreme Court judge Jeffrey H. Pearlman will also hear arguments for whether or not he should be ordered to pay child support. (Musk allegedly has 14 children he shares with several other women.)

According to St. Clair’s lawyers, Musk has yet to accept the court filing in person or through his attorneys.

“Despite requests, Mr. Musk has still not accepted service of the motion papers via his alleged attorneys, which is easy enough to do,” St. Clair’s lawyer Karen B. Rosenthal said in a statement to People.

“As a result of avoiding personal service, he has prolonged the litigation and caused unnecessary distress. It should be noted that no attorney has opted in to the NYSCEF system claiming they represent Mr. Musk,” Rosenthal continued. “We don’t have anyone we can properly speak with. It’s unnecessary gamesmanship when there’s an infant involved.”

An evidence filing obtained by People also showed St. Clair’s attorneys request the case’s jurisdiction be in New York City.

“We want to avoid attempting service at the White House and at other sensitive locations,” an attorney for St. Clair wrote in one email listed in the evidence filing, per the outlet. “Attempting service at the White House would, in our view, be sub-optimal optics for Elon, and Ashley would like to avoid doing this.”

Us Weekly has reached out to reps for St. Clair for comment.

St. Clair, a children’s book author best known for Elephants Are Not Birds, filed a petition in New York Supreme Court on February 21, to sue for sole custody of R.S.C. In the petition, St. Clair alleged Musk is the father of the child, but has “only met him three times” and “has no involvement in his care or upbringing.”

On February 14, the author claimed via X that she welcomed Musk’s 13th child 5 months prior. Her petition additionally claimed that the baby was born in September 2024.

“Five months ago, I welcomed a new baby into the world. Elon Musk is the father,” she wrote at the time. “I have not previously disclosed this to protect our child’s privacy and safety, but in recent days it has become clear that tabloid media intends to do so, regardless of the harm it will cause.”

The same month St. Clair filed her petition, it was revealed that Musk had welcomed his 14th child, Seldon Lycurgus, with Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis — the pair’s fourth child together — who announced the birth via X on Friday, February 28. It was not revealed when exactly the child was born.

The pair previously welcomed twins Strider and Azure in November 2021, and reportedly welcomed their third child in June 2024. Musk also has six children with ex-wife Justine Wilson, whom he divorced in 2008: twins Vivian and Griffin, both 20, and triplets Kai, Saxon and Damian, all 18. The exes also shared son Nevada, who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at 10 weeks old. Musk also shares three children with the singer Grimes.