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Elon Musk and ex Grimes' three rarely-seen children put front and center in new legal battle – what to know

The Tesla founder and the "Oblivion" singer have welcomed three children in the course of their five-year, on-and-off relationship


Elon Musk and Grimes at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit celebrating the opening of Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imaginationon 07 May 2018
Beatriz Colon
Beatriz Colon - New York
New York WriterNew York
3 October 2023
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Elon Musk and Grimes are the latest (former?) celebrity couple to be making headlines with a legal battle over their kids.

On September 29, the Canadian star (real name Claire Elise Boucher), filed a "petition to establish parental relationship" in a California court, records obtained by Page Six show.

Details into the Tesla founder and the "Oblivion" singer's relationship have always been murky – as has information on their kids, the existence of the third having only recently been revealed – and the new plea doesn't give much more insight.

WATCH: Inside Elon Musk's tiny $50k home

Grimes and Elon have been in an on-and-off relationship since 2018, and in her new legal filing, the mom-of-three isn't broaching the topic of custody or child support just yet, but rather is seeking to have a court establish who the legal parents of her three kids are.

Below, read more about Elon and Grimes' elusive, and seemingly contentious relationship.

Are Elon Musk and Grimes still together?

It's not often that the two have made it clear whether they are together or not, but as of October 2023, it appears to be the latter.

Last month, author Walter Isaacson – who has been following Elon for three years for his new biography on him, titled Elon Musk – shared a photo of the Space X founder pictured for the first time with his twins with venture capitalist Shivon Zilis, Strider and Azure, then 16 months old.

Elon Musk and Grimes attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City© Getty
Elon and Grimes made their first and only major red carpet appearance at the 2018 Met Gala

In response, Grimes wrote in a since-deleted tweet: "Tell Shivon to unblock me and tell Elon to let me see my son or plz respond to my lawyer," adding: "I have never even been allowed to see a photo of these children until this moment, despite the situation utterly ripping my family apart."

Days later, she took to X, formerly known as Twitter, again, and shared: "I spoke with Shivon at length finally, which was long overdue. This wasn't her fault, plz don't be angry at her!"

Who are Elon Musk and Grimes' three kids?

View post on Instagram
 

Elon and Grimes welcomed their first child, a son (controversially) named X Æ A-Xii, back in May 2020. Though they first broke up in September 2021, they then welcomed daughter Exa Dark Sideræl, also referred to as Y, via surrogate in December 2021.

Finally, Elon's biographer revealed earlier this month for the first time that the two had actually welcomed a third child, another son named Techno Mechanicus (nicknamed Tau), though it's unclear when he was born.

How many kids does Elon Musk have?

Elon has welcomed 11 kids; he has been married and divorced three times, twice with actress Talulah Riley. 

He first welcomed son Nevada Alexander Musk in 2002 with his ex-wife Justine Wilson, however he passed from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) when he was 10 weeks old.

Photo posted by Elon Musk's biographer Walter Isaacson on Twitter September 6, 2023 of the Tesla founder with venture capitalist Shivon Zilis and their twins Strider and Azure, born in November 2021.© X/Twitter
The Tesla founder's twins with Shivon were seen for the first time in September in a photo shared by the billionaire's biographer

Elon and Justine then welcomed twins Griffin and Vivian, 18, in April 2004, and triplets Kai, Saxon and Damian, 16, in 2006. Vivian, who came out as transgender in June 2022, is estranged from her father and goes by her mother's last name. Elon and Justin divorced in 2008.

Beyond his five kids with his ex-wife, the remaining five are his three kids with Grimes and his twins with Shivon, who were born in November 2021, however their identity wasn't revealed until almost a year later.

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