SpaceX founder Elon Musk is denying claims that he was involved in sexual misconduct with one of the company's flight attendants in 2016.
Business Insider reported May 19 that a former SpaceX flight attendant was paid $250,000 by the company as part of a severance agreement that required her to keep quiet about an alleged sexual misconduct incident involving the Tesla CEO.
According to the report, in 2016, the unidentified woman worked as a member of the cabin crew for the SpaceX corporate jet fleet. She reportedly "accused Musk of exposing his erect penis to her, rubbing her leg without consent, and offering to buy her a horse in exchange for an erotic massage," per Business Insider, citing a declaration signed by the friend of the attendant, along with an interview with her.
In a series of tweets on May 19, Musk slammed the accusations, calling them "wild" and "utterly untrue."
"But I have a challenge to this liar who claims their friend saw me ‘exposed' – describe just one thing, anything at all (scars, tattoos, …) that isn't known by the public," he tweeted. "She won't be able to do so, because it never happened."
According to Business Insider, the flight attendant was also allegedly urged to "get licensed as a masseuse" so that she could give Musk massages. During one mid-flight massage session, according to the friend, the attendant alleged that the billionaire "was completely naked except for a sheet covering the lower half of his body," the outlet reported. Musk allegedly "exposed his genitals" and then "touched her and offered to buy her a horse if she would 'do more,' referring to the performance of sex acts."
The flight attendant, who is a horse rider, reportedly declined Musk's alleged advances and continued with the massage without engaging in any sexual activity. After the alleged incident, the friend said the woman told her friend that her shifts were "cut back" and she felt like she was being "pushed out and punished."
In 2018, the flight attendant hired a California-based employment attorney and sent a complaint to SpaceX's human resources department detailing the alleged misconduct, according to Business Insider. Her friend told the outlet she was contacted and prepared a statement validating the claims.
Per Business Insider, the woman was subsequently awarded a $250,000 severance agreement in exchange for not suing over the claims. Per the outlet, the "agreement also included restrictive non-disclosure and non-disparagement clauses that bar the attendant from ever discussing the severance payment or disclosing any information of any kind about Musk and his businesses, including SpaceX and Tesla."
E! News has reached out to Musk's attorney and has not heard back yet.