According to Business Insider, SpaceX paid a flight attendant $250,000 to guarantee she didn’t speak out or sue the firm after Elon Musk allegedly exposed himself and propositioned her for sex.
The alleged victim worked as a crew member on a SpaceX business mission, according to one of the flight attendant’s pals. Musk asked for a full body massage in his room on one of the trips, the attendant informed her friend – supposedly, this was not unusual, and SpaceX had urged the attendant to earn a masseuse license. Musk allegedly removed the sheet covering his lower half of his body during the massage, revealing his erect penis. He allegedly promised to purchase the attendant a horse if she would “do more” while caressing her leg. (According to the account, the attendant rode horses.)
One of the flight attendant’s pals told Insider about the accusations after the attendant’s attorney requested him to sign a declaration supporting the claims in 2018. According to Insider, the flight attendant declined to perform any sexual acts on Musk and was “very furious” after the journey. Following the event, her companion said that SpaceX reduced the amount of shifts she was assigned, which the attendant saw as vengeance.
According to Insider, the flight attendant complained to SpaceX’s HR department in 2018, claiming that her career had suffered as a result of her rejection. According to reports, the firm brought the complaint to a mediator rather than a court or an arbitrator, and the attendant signed a $250,000 severance agreement prohibiting her from criticizing Musk or his companies, including SpaceX and Tesla. This includes discussing the payment in general.
According to Insider, the flight attendant was not consulted before coming forward with the claim, and the alleged victim declined to speak. A non-disclosure agreement was not signed by the attendant’s acquaintance.
Musk allegedly indicated there was “a lot more” to the story when called for comment, and that it was a “politically driven attack job.” The phrasing recalls Musk’s Wednesday post, in which he warned his fans that “political assaults on me will accelerate drastically in coming months.” He also said he would be the target of a “dirty tricks campaign.”
Elon’s tweets were made immediately after Insider reached out for comment, according to an Insider editor, making it appear as if he was attempting to get ahead of the story by priming people not to believe the next thing he was accused of. According to the outlet, he asked extra time to react, but never did after Insider extended the deadline.
“If I were inclined to participate in sexual harassment, this is unlikely to be the first time it comes to light in my whole 30-year career,” Musk told Insider.
Employees at SpaceX and Tesla, on the other hand, have previously stated that both firms run by Musk have sexual harassment cultures. Tesla is facing many lawsuits for its HR department failing to safeguard workers who were “objectified, intimidated, molested, and propositioned on the production floor,” according to one SpaceX employee who claims the business did nothing when they reported being groped by coworkers. Musk’s tweets, which occasionally contain sexual innuendos, according to one employee, assist to set an example for how staff should act.