Multi-billionaire Elon Musk has refuted a sexual assault allegation made by a former Space X flight attendant, to whom his company allegedly paid $250,000 in a separation deal years ago.
After the story broke, Musk tweeted on Thursday that the controversy should be "viewed through a political lens."
Business Insider published a story about Musk, SpaceX, and the flight attendant agreed to an arrangement in November 2018 to pay the lady $250,000 in compensation in exchange for her commitment not to file a lawsuit about her allegations of sexual harassment committed by Musk.
The flight attendant's complaint to the company's HR department was "immediately addressed following a session with a mediator that Musk personally attended," per the media source.
According to the former Space X flight attendant's declaration, she told her friend that the SpaceX and Tesla CEO invited her to his room during a flight to London in late 2016 "for a full body massage."
When she entered the room, she saw Musk "completely naked" but a sheet covered his body's lower half. During the massage, according to the declaration, Musk "exposed his genitals" and "touched" the attendant, and "offered to buy her a horse if she would 'do more, which refers to sexual acts.
The flight attendant, who rides horses, declined Musk's offer and proceeded with the massage without any erotic activity.
Punished for Refusing Musk's Offer
The attendant "is not for sale," the friend's declaration said. "She is not going to perform sexual favors for money or gifts."
In an interview with Insider, the friend detailed the attendant's allegations, on the condition of anonymity, citing fears for her safety.
The publication is also aware of the flight attendant's identity but is not naming her because she has claimed to be a victim of sexual misconduct. She declined to comment to Insider's story, as per CNBC.
After she turned down Musk's attempts, the flight attendant told her friend that work dried up.
She disclosed that the attendant thought things could return to normal and "she would pretend as nothing happened." But the flight attendant felt like she "was receiving some sort of retaliation where her shifts were cut back" and she felt "really stressed."
The declaration stated that the attendant felt "she was being pushed out and punished for refusing to prostitute herself."
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Musk Says Allegations Are Politically Motivated
Musk appeared to respond to the news on Twitter, stating that accusations against him should be considered political.
The tech mogul tweeted: "The attacks against me should be viewed through a political lens - this is their standard (despicable) playbook - but nothing will deter me from fighting for a good future and your right to free speech."
The attacks against me should be viewed through a political lens – this is their standard (despicable) playbook – but nothing will deter me from fighting for a good future and your right to free speech
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
Musk wrote in his follow-up tweet, "for the record, those wild accusations are utterly untrue."
"But I have a challenge to this liar who claims their friend saw me 'exposed' - describe just one thing, anything at all (scars, tattoos, ...) that isn't known by the public. She won't be able to do so, because it never happened," he stated.
As per Fox Business, Musk also made a joke out of the scandal, suggesting the use of the term "Elongate" for the Elon Musk Sexual Assault issue, most likely in reference to the Watergate scandal in 1972.
Elon Musk has become increasingly outspoken since declaring his $44 billion bid for Twitter. He has publicly lambasted US President Joe Biden and has recently declared that he will vote Republican in the forthcoming election, to which he drew lots of criticism.
