Errol Musk, father of tech mogul Elon Musk, has ignited controversy with unfounded remarks about former First Lady Michelle Obama during an appearance on the Wide Awake Podcast with Joshua Rubin.
Musk repeated a long-debunked far-right conspiracy theory alleging Michelle Obama is a man. “We realized Obama is a queer who is married to a man who dresses as a woman. We all learned that. It’s not common knowledge,” Musk said, offering no evidence.
The podcast host, visibly shocked, asked, “Michelle Obama is a man?” Musk doubled down, saying, “Of course, you don’t know that?” He also referenced comedian Joan Rivers, who joked in 2014 about Michelle Obama’s gender identity. Rivers passed away two weeks later due to complications from surgery, but Musk falsely implied a connection.
“Joan Rivers mentioned it publicly, and she was dead two weeks later. They axed her. That’s common knowledge. You can look it up anywhere,” he claimed. Medical records confirmed that Rivers’ death was due to brain damage from a medical procedure, with no credible connection to her comments.
Musk also made further inappropriate remarks about Michelle Obama, saying, “They have pictures of her in tracksuits with her 9-inch schlong hanging down… it’s leg.”
Michelle and Barack Obama, who have been married since 1992, have two daughters, Malia and Sasha. There is no factual basis for Errol Musk’s claims.
During the same interview, Musk shifted the focus to criticizing his son, Elon, particularly his parenting. When asked if Elon was a good father, Musk replied, “No, he has not been a good dad,” and mentioned the tragic death of Elon’s first child, Nevada Alexander, who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at 10 weeks old.
“The baby was cared for too much by nannies and sadly passed away while under their watch. If Elon hears me say this, he’s going to shoot me or something. But anyway, that’s what I think,” he remarked.
Musk went on to claim that Elon had minimal involvement in raising his children. “They were too rich, too many nannies. Then he had five children with the same woman. They each had a nanny. It was really a weird situation,” he said.
Elon Musk, who has at least 11 children with different women, has acknowledged in interviews that his demanding work schedule limits his time with them but has also expressed a desire to be more present.
The strained relationship between Elon and Errol Musk is well-documented. Elon has previously described Errol as “evil” and “a terrible human being,” while Errol has frequently criticized his son’s success and influence.
When Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer dismissed Elon Musk’s recent criticism of British politics, calling him “desperate for attention,” Errol downplayed it. “He’s just a person. The fact that he has money or something, he’s a billionaire or something to that effect… Tell him to get lost,” Errol said.
Errol Musk’s latest remarks have placed him in the center of another controversy. Experts warn about the dangers of spreading misinformation, particularly regarding public figures. Despite backlash, Musk remains seemingly unfazed. Whether driven by attention-seeking or personal belief, his comments have sparked significant public debate.
