Elon Musk is facing renewed scrutiny over allegations about his personal conduct after former partner Ashley St. Clair claimed in a newly released interview that she witnessed the billionaire using psychedelic mushrooms and worrying about advanced drug testing, remarks that surfaced as the two remain embroiled in a custody dispute over their young son.
Speaking in an interview with former CNN host Don Lemon, St. Clair alleged that Musk expressed concern about drug screening methods and suggested that his fears extended beyond standard testing procedures. The comments add a new dimension to an already contentious legal battle involving the pair's son, Romulus.
According to St. Clair, Musk was particularly concerned about the possibility of more sophisticated testing. "He was scared that they were going to take his fingernails and like, fingernail drug test him," she told Lemon. She did not provide evidence to support the claim, and Musk has not publicly responded to the latest allegations.
The interview focused heavily on St. Clair's account of Musk's alleged drug use. When asked what substances she had personally observed, she said, "I saw him take mushrooms and there were other things that I was unsure of." Pressed for clarification, she added, "I don't know what was in it."
St. Clair also challenged Musk's previous public denials regarding drug use. "The volume at which he lies, to the scale of people, is astonishing. 'I don't do drugs,' that's just not true. At all," she said. Those allegations have not been independently verified.
Asked whether she had ever participated, St. Clair rejected the idea. "No, I would never. I'm not a fan of horse tranquiliser. I'm not a prude about seeing people do drugs, but it wasn't clear to me until later on that maybe this is habitual," she said. She did not specify which substance she was referencing.
The allegations arrive amid an increasingly public custody dispute. St. Clair has said she and Musk began communicating through X, formerly Twitter, in 2023 before their relationship developed further. She later disclosed that Musk was the father of her child, a revelation that became public in early 2025.
According to St. Clair, tensions escalated after the birth of their son and intensified further as she became more critical of Musk publicly. She has claimed Musk is seeking sole custody, though the legal proceedings remain ongoing and many details have not been independently confirmed.
The latest accusations also revive a debate that has followed Musk for years. Reports questioning his use of substances including ketamine, psychedelics and other drugs have periodically surfaced, often drawing attention because of his leadership roles at Tesla and SpaceX, companies that maintain significant relationships with government agencies.
Musk has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and previously pointed to drug testing conducted through his companies' government partnerships. According to Forbes, Musk said he underwent years of random testing connected to NASA oversight and that "not even a trace amount of any drugs or alcohol was found."
