Disinformation Claiming That Musk’s Child Underwent Gender-Affirming Surgery Without Parental Consent

On September 11, during the “Summary of the Day” program on the pro-Kremlin Sezoni TV, the host, Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, claimed that even billionaire Elon Musk could not protect his child, who allegedly underwent gender-affirming surgery. Mzhavanadze stated that in the US, if a child wishes to change their gender, parents cannot interfere in the process.

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze: “Even Elon Musk, a billionaire, could not protect his child. Musk’s child decided to change gender and did it, my friends, changed gender. So, if someone thinks America is Eden, you are very mistaken. Now, a child who can change gender… and no one can interfere… if a parent says no, the parent will be arrested.”

The claim that Musk’s child underwent gender-affirming surgery without parental consent is false. When Musk’s child changed their gender and name, they were already an adult, meaning parental consent was not required for such changes. Regarding hormone therapy, Musk himself signed the documents allowing Vivienne to receive appropriate medical treatment at the age of 16.

Elon Musk’s child, formerly known as Xavier Musk, gained public attention in 2022 when they petitioned the court for a legal name and gender change. Born in 2004, the child declared that they identified as female and wished to fully distance themselves from their father. Xavier’s new name became Vivian Jenna Wilson.

In California, minors typically need parental consent to change their name or gender. On September 29, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill allowing children and their families from other states to access transgender services in California. However, this law is not related to gender-affirming surgery, and minors still require parental or guardian consent for any medical treatment, including gender-affirming care, before the age of 18.

At the time of this legal action, Elon Musk’s child was 18 years old, meaning no parental consent was required for the name and gender change request. Vivian’s mother, Justine Wilson, has repeatedly expressed support for her child’s identity. When the news of Vivian’s legal name and gender change was made public, Justine wrote that she was proud of her child.

Elon Musk, on the other hand, has been clear in his opposition to his child’s gender identity. He referred to gender change as the result of the “woke mind virus” and claimed that he had “lost a child.” In an interview with commentator Jordan Peterson in July 2024, Musk argued that he was “deceived” into signing documents allowing his child to begin hormone therapy. However, in July 2024, Vivian told ABC News that Musk was fully aware of what he was signing.

Vivian emphasized that her father’s claims that he was misled into consenting to medical treatment were false. She stated that Musk knew exactly what he was doing when he signed the necessary documents. Vivian also noted that Musk was a negligent and indifferent father, leaving her and her siblings largely in the care of their mother and nannies. Vivian also revealed that, during childhood, Musk bullied her for displaying feminine traits and pressured her to appear more masculine. In 2022, when petitioning to change her name, Vivian stated that she no longer wanted to be associated with Musk in any way.

Disinformation about gender-affirming surgeries in the U.S. has been spread by Georgian media outlets in the past as well. In December 2023 and January 2024, broadcasters Imedi and pro-Kremlin Alt-Info disseminated similar claims. Read more about these in the Myth Detector articles.The article has been written in the framework of Facebook’s fact-checking program. You can read more about the restrictions that Facebook may impose based on this article via this link. You can find information about appealing or editing our assessment via this link.