Elon Musk denies claims he sexually harassed a flight attendant in 2016 and calls them ‘false accusations’ | Science & Technology News
Billionaire businessman Elon Musk has denied allegations that he sexually harassed a flight attendant on a private jet in 2016, calling them “extravagant accusations”.
It appears as Business Insider reported on Thursday Mr Musk‘S SpaceX paid $250,000 (£200,000) in 2018 to settle a sexual harassment complaint from an unnamed private plane hostess who accused the Tesla founder of exposing himself to her.
The article quoted an unnamed friend of the flight attendant. The friend said she provided a statement as part of a private settlement.
“I have a challenge to this liar who says their friend has seen me ‘revealed’ – describe only one thing, anything (scars, tattoos, …) that is visible to the public. don’t know. She won’t be able to do so, because it never happened,” Mr. Musk wrote on Twitter.
He added that the claims were “completely untrue”.
Sky News has been unable to verify the claims made in the original article. Musk and SpaceX have not responded to requests for comment.
According to Business Insider, Mr Musk allegedly rubbed the flight attendant’s thigh and offered to buy her a horse if she “does more” during the in-flight massage.
The flight attendant believed her refusal to accept the offer affected her chances of getting a job at SpaceX, and after her job dried up, she hired an employment attorney, her friend said.
The rocket company made the settlement out of court and included a non-disclosure agreement that prevented flight attendants from talking about it, Business Insider reported.
In the Business Insider article, Musk is quoted as saying that the flight attendant’s story is a “politically motivated piece of work” and that “it’s much more than that.”
Business Insider does not appear to have spoken to the woman directly but said they “know the identity of the flight victim”.
On Thursday night, Musk tweeted for the first time: “Attacks against me should be viewed through a political lens – this is their standard (despicable) book – but nothing stop me from fighting for a good future and your freedom of speech.”
He also tweeted that the article was meant to interfere Buy back Twitter.
