SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell defended the company's founder, Elon Musk, after he was accused of sexual misconduct. Shotwell said in an internal company email that she believes that the allegations against Musk are false.

In the email, Shotwell said the company has a "zero tolerance" for harassment and sexual misconduct. She clarified that she doesn't believe Musk is innocent because she is working for him, but because she has worked closely with him for 20 years and he has never acted in a way that would lead her to believe he is capable of such horrendous acts.

A report was published last week alleging that SpaceX had paid off a company flight attendant more than $250,000 in 2018 to keep quiet. The attendant alleged that Musk had exposed himself to her during a flight and then propositioned her for sex.

Shotwell said in the email that anyone who has worked closely with Musk and those who know him personally knows that he would never condone such acts. She added that the company takes such allegations seriously, thoroughly investigates all claims, and takes immediate disciplinary actions.

Musk has denied the allegations made against him, stating in an interview that there was a lot more to the story. He accused the report of being nothing more than a "politically motivated hit piece" against him. Musk said that if he were the type of person to commit such acts, it would have become public much earlier.

A friend of the flight attendant, who was the one that told reporters about the incident, claimed that Musk invited her friend to his room for a "full body massage" during a late 2016 trip. When the attendant entered the room, she reportedly saw Musk completely naked save for a sheet covering the bottom part of his body.

According to a document signed by her friend in support of the flight attendant's accusation, Musk had allegedly exposed his genitals, then caressed her and offered to purchase her a horse if she would "do more." The attendant reportedly rejected the offer and resumed the massage. After she turned down Musk's sexual advance, the flight attendant told her friend about what had happened. She then proceeded to hire an employment lawyer

In a recent response to a post on Twitter, Musk said that he does not have flight attendants on his flights. He said that witnesses of his daily routine know that he doesn't use flight attendants.