Elon Musk speaks at the World Congress of Automotive News at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan, January 13, 2015. REUTERS / Rebecca Cook // File Photo
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
AUCKLAND, May 19 (Reuters) – Billionaire Elon Musk took to Twitter late Thursday to condemn as “completely untrue” allegations in a news report that he sexually harassed a flight attendant on a private jet in 2016.
Business Insider reported earlier Thursday that Musk’s SpaceX paid $ 250,000 in 2018 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit by an unnamed private flight attendant who accused Musk of exposing himself to her.
The article quoted an anonymous person as saying she was a friend of the flight attendant. According to the article, the friend provided a statement as part of the private settlement process.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
“I have a challenge to this liar who claims that their friend saw me” exposed “- describe only one thing, everything (scars, tattoos, …) that is not known to the public. She will not be able to do that because it has never happened, “Musk tweeted.
Reuters was unable to verify the Business Insider account. Musk and SpaceX did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the history of Business Insider or Musk’s tweets.
In addition to allegedly exposing himself, Musk rubbed the stewardess’s thigh and offered to buy her a horse if she “did more” during an in-flight massage, Business Steward’s girlfriend quoted Business Insider as saying.
The flight attendant began to believe that her refusal to accept Musk’s offer had damaged her ability to work at SpaceX and prompted her to hire a lawyer in 2018, according to Business Insider.
The rocket company took the agreement out of court and included a non-disclosure agreement, which prevented the flight attendant from talking about it, Business Insider said. The news site did not name the friend or flight attendant.
Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and is in the midst of a controversial effort to buy Twitter Inc (TWTR.N), said Wednesday that he would vote Republican instead of Democrat, predicting “dirty a campaign of tricks against me followed.
In a Business Insider article, Musk was quoted as saying that the flight attendant’s story was a “politically motivated hit” and that there was “much more to it.”
On Thursday night, Musk tweeted for the first time: “Attacks on me must be viewed from a political lens – this is their standard (disgusting) book – but nothing will stop me from fighting for a good future and your right to freedom of speech. In the initial tweet, he did not specifically mention the allegations in the Business Insider article.
“And for the record, these wild accusations are completely untrue,” Musk added in another tweet.
He also tweeted that the article was aimed at preventing the acquisition of Twitter.
Reuters could not immediately contact Business Insider for comment.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
Report by Hyunjoo Jin and Joey Roulette; Edited by Peter Henderson
Our standards: Thomson Reuters’ principles of trust.
Add Comment