A deeply personal disagreement has emerged from a new documentary examining Elon Musk’s life, influence, and relationships. His former wife, author Justine Musk, challenges his public description of one of the most painful moments in their marriage: the 2002 loss of their 10-week-old son, Nevada. Her account appears in Alex Gibney’s 232-minute film “Musk,” which premiered outside competition at the Venice Film Festival on September 8. The documentary brings together people from Musk’s private and professional circles, although Musk declined to participate. Justine and Musk married in January 2000, welcomed six children together, and divorced in 2008. Years later, she says one crucial part of their family history was told incorrectly.

Justine says she—not Musk—was holding Nevada during his final moments after the infant experienced sudden infant death syndrome, commonly known as SIDS. Her statement directly contradicts an account Musk previously shared publicly. She also describes feeling diminished during their marriage and recalls him declaring during their wedding dance that he would be the dominant partner. While she had discussed parts of their relationship before, her documentary interview connects those memories to a more intimate dispute. Then another former partner introduced an allegation involving an extraordinary $40 million offer—and Musk responded with a firm denial.

The documentary also features Ashley St. Clair, who has a young son with Musk and claims she rejected a proposed $40 million financial arrangement tied to a nondisclosure agreement. According to St. Clair, accepting it would have required her to remain silent about their relationship; Musk has denied that allegation. Unlike an ordinary disagreement involving a mortgage, insurance policy, investment, or estate, these claims carry unusual consequences because they involve one of the world’s most recognizable business leaders. An attorney for Musk has separately threatened legal action over other material in the film, while Gibney’s production company has defended the project as a fact-based examination. No court ruling has established St. Clair’s $40 million allegation as fact, making careful attribution essential when discussing it.

“Musk” examines far more than the billionaire’s family relationships, tracing his rise through the technology industry and his growing political and cultural influence. Gibney began developing the project in 2023, but the investigation expanded until the finished movie reached nearly four hours. Because Musk did not sit for an interview, the filmmakers relied on archival statements, interviews with former associates, and an AI-generated representation constructed from his public remarks. Musk has dismissed the documentary as a hostile portrayal, while its participants argue that their experiences deserve to be heard. The film is scheduled to open in U.S. theaters on October 16, giving audiences an opportunity to evaluate those competing accounts for themselves. Beneath the headlines and enormous dollar figure, its most affecting dispute remains intensely human: two grieving parents remember the darkest moment of their marriage differently.