SpaceX reportedly paid a flight attendant $250,000 to ensure she didn’t stand up or sue the company after Elon Musk allegedly exposed himself and propositioned her for sex, as indicated by a report from Business Insider.
As per one of the flight attendant’s friends, the alleged victim worked as a crew member on a SpaceX corporate flight. During one of the flights, the attendant told her companion, Musk asked her for a full body massage in his room — reportedly, this was not to be expected, and SpaceX had encouraged the attendant to get a masseuse license. During the massage, Musk allegedly removed the sheet that was covering the lower half of his body, showing her his erect pen*s. While rubbing her leg, he reportedly offered to buy the attendant a horse if she would “do more.” (The story notes that the attendant rode horses.)
The allegations were relayed to Insider by one of the flight attendant’s companions, who was asked by the attendant’s attorney to sign a declaration backing up the claims in 2018. The friend told Insider the attendant would not carry out any sexual acts on Musk, and that she was “really upset” following the flight. The friend also said SpaceX cut down on the number of shifts she was given following the occurrence, which the attendant saw as a sign of retaliation.
As per Insider, the attendant filed a complaint to SpaceX’s HR department in 2018, saying that her career with the company had ended because of her refusal. The company reportedly took the complaint to a mediator, not a court or an arbitrator, and signed the attendant to a $250,000 severance agreement barring her from saying anything terrible regarding Musk or his company, including SpaceX and Tesla. This included speaking about the payment itself.
Insider says its source didn’t consult the flight attendant prior to coming forward with the story, and says that the alleged victim declined to comment. The attendant’s friend didn’t sign a non-disclosure agreement.
When reached for comment, Musk reportedly said that there was “a lot more” to the story, and said that it was a “politically motivated hit piece.” The language helps us to remember a tweet from Musk on Wednesday, where he told his followers that “political attacks on me will escalate dramatically in coming months.” He also cautioned that he would be the victim of a “dirty tricks campaign.”
Musk told Insider: “If I were inclined to engage in sexual harassment, this is unlikely to be the first time in my entire 30-year career that it comes to light.”
