Vivian Wilson, daughter of Elon Musk and Justine Wilson, shared her journey of coming out as transgender in an interview with Teen Vogue. The 20-year-old, who before transitioning was named Xavier Alexander Musk, explained that her mother was immediately understanding, while her father, with whom she had not spoken in months, did not support her. Vivian recounts with great passion her suffering in the male body that was maturing sexually and in which she felt imprisoned.
Vivian told the media that she realized she had to embark on the journey to transition late one night, “It was 11 p.m., and I thought at that point I knew I was transgender. I had known for a few months,” she said. “That was the moment when puberty was really advancing and everything in my life was completely falling apart.”
There are differing accounts on the timing of her transition. Elon Musk claimed that he was “tricked” into giving her consent when she was 16, but Vivian has publicly denied this version, calling it a “lie” in an interview with NBC. Legal documents actually show that Xavier Musk had requested an official name and gender change in 2022 to Vivian Wilson, after she turned 18, at which time she no longer needed her father’s permission. She and her father are no longer in contact.
“I was constantly having mental breakdowns in the middle of classes at school. I couldn’t get through the days calmly. I didn’t want to wake up, I didn’t want to do anything. I just wanted to ‘rot,’ basically.” Then she added, “It was like I couldn’t keep quiet anymore. I told myself, if I stay in hiding any longer, this will take me down a destructive path.”
Vivian then emphasized that looking back, she would redo her coming out by involving her mother first. “I’m sorry that I announced the news on social media before I told my mother. If I went back I would have told her first because she deserved to be the first to know.”
