Singer Grimes Puts Her Children First As Co-Parenting Journey With Elon Musk Plays Out In Public

Elon Musk and singer Grimes share three children from their turbulent on-and-off romance. Despite a prolonged custody dispute, the musician says her focus remains firmly on nurturing a healthy relationship with her kids.

The Tesla billionaire and the Canadian artist were first romantically linked in 2018, going on to welcome son X Æ A-Xii in May 2020, daughter Exa Dark Sideræl via surrogate in December 2021, and son Techno Mechanicus in June 2022.

Musk is also the father of nine other children: six from his former marriage to Justine Wilson and three with Shivon Zilis, an executive at one of his companies.

Shortly after X’s birth, Musk acknowledged to The New York Times that Grimes was shouldering the bulk of parenting duties during the infant stage. “Grimes has a much bigger role than I right now,” he said. “When the kid gets older, there will be more of a role for me.”

For her part, Grimes has spoken candidly about her commitment to motherhood. “I really care about having a very good relationship with my kids,” she told Wired in August 2023. “Both enforcing discipline and being their friend.”

In October 2023, she formally filed a petition to establish parental rights for all three children. More than a year later, in November 2024, Grimes revealed on social media that an ongoing custody battle with Musk had stalled her musical output, describing the legal proceedings as a significant creative burden.