‘I just slept and cried’: Elon Musk’s ex-partner opens up about custody battle with billionaire

Elon Musk's ex-partner and musician Grimes (Claire Boucher) has recently opened up about the toll of her legal battle with Musk over custody of their three children—X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl, and Techno Mechanicus. On Musk’s own platform, X (formerly Twitter), she revealed that the prolonged fight left her emotionally drained and financially strained. “The threat of losing your kids while going bankrupt fighting for them is not conducive to creativity,” she wrote.

The artist described spending the year “sleeping and crying” whenever she wasn’t actively engaged in the legal proceedings, a period she says crippled her ability to create music.

In response to another tweet, she said, "Because the threat of losing ur kids while going bankrupt fighting for them is not very conducive to creative thoughts. I just slept and cried every minute I wasn't explicitly fighting for my kids during that year."

Despite her own success, Grimes felt outmatched in a system she perceived as favouring her billionaire ex-partner. She highlighted disparities in resources and criticised the legal systems in states like Texas and California for their treatment of mothers. Social media posts and modelling photos were reportedly used against her in court to question her parenting abilities, a move she called unfair and humiliating.

In another long post, Grimes also shared how her perception of Musk has changed. Describing him as “unrecognisable” from the man she once loved. These actions have reportedly strained their relationship, though she has publicly supported Musk’s estranged transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson.

Amid the turmoil, Grimes expressed gratitude for the challenges she’s faced, calling them a catalyst for artistic growth. In the lengthy social media post, she spoke about channelling her experiences into her next project, blending raw emotion with newfound creative partners and technical expertise. “Babies rip you apart and put you back together,” she reflected, describing motherhood as a transformative journey.

While recent reports have hinted at Musk and Grimes possibly house-hunting together for a shared family compound in Los Angeles, her comments suggest a more complex reality. During the custody battle, Grimes revealed she was separated from one of their children for five months—a detail she described as deeply painful.

Despite the drama, Grimes maintains she’s “on top of the world” creatively and emotionally, ready to release art that is “upsetting and provocative” but undeniably authentic.