SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk late Thursday apparently responded to an article from Insider that says Musk was accused of sexually propositioning a SpaceX flight attendant, calling the claims not true.
According to the report, which cites interviews and documents, a flight attendant accused Musk of exposing himself during a massage and asking her for sex, according to a friend of the SpaceX employee. The flight attendant declined his advances and later got a lawyer after she felt she lost opportunities at the company for turning away Musk’s overtures.
Musk, without citing the report, tweeted on Thursday, “For the record, those wild accusations are utterly untrue.”
“The attacks against me should be viewed through a political lens — this is their standard (despicable) playbook — but nothing will deter me from fighting for a good future and your right to free speech,” Musk said in a tweet shortly after the story was released.
Documents seen by Insider show SpaceX and the flight attendant reached an out-of-court settlement of $250,000 that included a nondisclosure agreement.
The friend Insider talked to said she felt she had a “responsibility” to tell the story due to the power Musk has as one of the richest people in the world.
Insider knows the name of the friend but decided not to provide it in the report, saying she declined to provide comment for the article.
Musk initially responded to Insider’s request for comment saying he needed more time to respond.
“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,” Musk told the outlet.
He told Insider that the article was a “politically motivated hit piece” and said there was “a lot more to this story.” Musk did not respond to further inquiries from Insider.
The article comes after Musk announced he would stop voting for Democrats and instead vote for Republicans.
“In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party. But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican. Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold,” he said Thursday.
Musk has also recently reached a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion, a move that has been largely denounced by Democrats and praised by Republicans.
The Hill has reached out to SpaceX for comment.