Vivian Jenna Wilson legally changed her name and gender marker in 2022, after turning 18. Her court petition said she no longer wished to be related to her biological father. Elon Musk emphasized her privacy at the time; in later public comments, Wilson disputed his account of her childhood. A 2025 profile reported that she said they were not in contact then. Their relationship’s status in October 2026 is not established by the available reporting.
Why did Vivian Wilson change her last name?
Wilson filed her petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court on April 18, 2022, one day after turning 18, according to the Los Angeles Times. The petition sought a legal name change and gender recognition. As quoted by the Times and The Guardian, it stated: “I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.”
That is the petition’s stated position, not a complete account of the private history or every reason behind the estrangement. The evidence supports describing the change as both a legal recognition of Wilson’s identity and an expressed wish not to be related to her father.
Did the court approve the name and gender-marker change?
Yes. CBS Los Angeles reported that a judge approved the name and gender change in June 2022. The name reported after the change was Vivian Jenna Wilson. This timeline is based on contemporaneous news coverage, rather than a direct review of the court docket. CBS Los Angeles’ report covered the approval.
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What did Elon Musk say about his daughter?
His 2022 statement emphasized privacy
In a statement to the Daily Beast relayed by The Guardian in June 2022, Musk said, “She does not want to be a public figure,” and added, “Please don’t out someone against their will – it’s not right.” Those comments addressed privacy in the immediate coverage of Wilson’s petition.
Wilson later challenged his account of her childhood
In 2024, Wilson responded publicly to Musk’s account of her transition. Le Monde quoted her saying: “He doesn’t know what I was like as a child because he quite simply wasn’t there.” She also said that during the time he was present, “I was relentlessly harassed for my femininity and queerness.” These are Wilson’s accounts of her childhood, not independently established findings.
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Le Monde also reported Musk saying he had been “essentially tricked into signing documents” for one of his children and describing the situation in ideological terms. That is Musk’s characterization; it should not be treated as an independently verified explanation of what occurred. Le Monde’s 2024 report recorded the opposing public accounts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are Elon Musk and Vivian Wilson in contact?
A September 2025 Le Monde profile reported Wilson saying she no longer had contact with Musk. The report establishes what she said at that time; it does not establish whether their private relationship changed after publication. The sources available do not confirm their contact status as of October 2026. Le Monde’s September 2025 profile is the latest cited account of contact between them.
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What is established—and what remains private?
- Wilson filed for the legal change after turning 18, and her petition stated that she did not wish to be related to her biological father.
- News coverage reported that a judge approved the name and gender-marker change in June 2022.
- Musk’s 2022 statement emphasized privacy; Wilson’s later public account disputed his description of her childhood.
- Wilson was reported as saying in 2025 that they had no contact then. Their relationship’s status after that report, and the full private history behind the estrangement, are not established by these accounts.
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