Kenneth Glad
When global billionaires face intense public scrutiny, the battleground often shifts from the boardroom into the courtroom.
Documentaries examining high-profile figures regularly spark tension. But rarely do private text messages and orbital technology collide in a public dispute.
Elon Musk, however, has launched a legal warning against the creators of an upcoming documentary. A lawyer representing the billionaire sent a letter demanding changes to the film before it reaches audiences.
The dispute centers on private messages sent prior to the 2024 election. The texts went to Ashley St. Clair, a former partner with whom Musk shares a child.
In the messages, according to NPR, Musk claimed he was “feeling more optimistic” about Donald Trump winning the presidency. He explained this shift by stating, “tomorrow we unleash the anomaly in the matrix.”
Explaining the anomaly
When pressed for details, Musk claimed he would tap “‘Lasers’ from space,” adding, “I have over 10 thousand lasers in space right now.”
During an on-camera interview, filmmaker Alex Gibney questioned whether those texts were actually pointing toward SpaceX hardware. St. Clair offered a direct response. “I don’t know where else he has lasers,” she told Gibney.
That exchange triggered a fierce reaction from Musk’s legal team. Attorney Alex Spiro argued the film pushes a debunked conspiracy theory linking Starlink satellites to election fraud, NPR reports.
Defending the project
Spiro rejected any connection between the company and voting machines. He noted that “Starlink’s satellites communicate by laser inter-satellite link; that is what ‘lasers in space’ describes.”
Production company Jigsaw Productions quickly pushed back. In a statement to NPR, the studio cited its “right to engage in open debate and fact-based examinations of powerful public figures” as a First Amendment protection.
St. Clair found the legal posturing laughable. She told the outlet that “they are more likely to colonize Mars than win a defamation case against Alex Gibney.”
High bar for courts
Musk has publicly attacked the film on his platform X. He labelled the project a “hit piece” focused on “fabricating a false film.”
Click to display external content from x,
- You can always enable and disable third-party content.
You agree to display external third-party content. Personal data may be sent to the provider of the content and other third-party services.
Legal experts suggest a courtroom victory would be difficult. University of Chicago Law professor Genevieve Lakier explained to NPR that the billionaire’s team must prove “actual malice.”
Lakier clarified the high standard, noting that “even if the documentary included a statement that turns out to be wrong, that is not actual malice.”
Despite the legal threats, the film continues to draw global attention. TV 2 reports that early reviewers describe the project as an epic study of power and a non-fiction horror movie.
Sources: NPR, TV 2, Elon Musk / X
