Elon Musk, Ashley St. Clair and what her tell-all posts really mean

Charles Trepany, USA TODAYSun, May 24, 2026 at 12:01 PM UTC

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"Get ready with me while I talk about when things started going south with Elon."

TikTok is currently gripped by Ashley St. Clair − a former MAGA influencer who shares a child with Tesla and SpaceX CEO, and former President Donald Trump adviser, Elon Musk.

St. Clair has taken to the video-sharing app in recent weeks to air out her relationship drama with Musk, who has publicly acknowledged fathering at least 13 children with four women, including a 1-year-old son named Romulus with St. Clair. Her videos have racked up millions of views and sparked plenty of commentary about the dynamic between the high-profile duo.

Though Musk and St. Clair are both public figures in a unique family situation, mental health and relationship experts say the TikTok series spotlights something we can all relate to: the need we all feel to have our relationship experiences, even traumatic ones, heard and validated.

Ashley St. Clair (left) is sharing intimate details of her relationship with Elon Musk (right) on TikTok. Here's what it really means.

"Everyone wants to get their side of the story out," relationship therapist Philip Lewis says. "Each person in a relationship has their own subjective reality."

Elon Musk, Ashley St. Clair and the need to be heard

In one TikTok video, St. Clair does her skincare and makeup routine while recalling the day Musk slid into her DMs. She talks about witnessing him block Canadian musician Grimes, with whom he shares three children. St. Clair also mentions how, as a single mother already, she felt like she was "stained" and not worthy of better treatment by the time she met Musk.

"At that point in my life, because I'm involved in MAGA and the right wing and I'm already a single mom, the chances of me getting married and the white picket fence and the white dress, I believed that was out the window for me because I was already stained as a single mom," St. Clair says in a nearly 20-minute video, uploaded May 15. "But I wanted nothing more than to be a mom. I wanted more kids."

Ashley St. Clair shares new details of relationship with ex Elon Musk

Psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis says that, more likely than not, every relationship story has something in it that each and every person can relate to.

"Most people have had a toxic relationship," Sarkis says. "Most people have, at some point, experienced this, that the person that you met is different than the person that you know now."

Sharing your side of the story, Sarkis says, can help you feel in control again, especially after you've been in a situation that felt out of your control. There's also a feeling of comfort in safety, she adds, in "collective witnessing" − when a group of people acknowledge and validate your version of events.

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Collective witnessing, Sarkis says, can take many forms − in person with loved ones or on a large scale on social media.

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It also taps into a deep, human need − one that's been drilled into us through evolution. That's the feeling of being part of a pack or tribe, something key to survival for most of human existence.

Where airing out relationship drama publicly goes wrong

Yes, sharing intimate relationship details can be cathartic. But that doesn't always make it a wise decision.

Going public with your side of a story − especially if it involves a messy, complicated or toxic dynamic with another person − can sometimes provoke outrage, or even retaliation, from the other party involved.

If this is a concern for you, sometimes confiding in close friends or family members can be a safer option.

"Stuff stays forever on the internet," Sarkis says. "You have to be careful about what you share."

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Talking through your experiences with a therapist before sharing them with others may also be a prudent decision. This can help you process what you've been through and find avenues toward healing.

If you do feel determined to share your experiences publicly, Sarkis recommends getting clear with yourself about what's really driving you and what will come of it if you do.

"What's the end goal?" Sarkis says. "Is it to help others? Is it to share your story? If you're doing it to punish or to shame someone, it's probably important to talk through that with someone first before posting."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elon Musk, Ashley St. Clair and why her shocking tell-all posts matter

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