Grimes Reveals Five-Month Separation from Child Amid Custody Fight with Elon Musk

Grimes is opening up about the intense custody battle with her ex, Elon Musk, and the emotional toll it’s taken on her life. The singer, known for hits like “Genesis,” revealed on social media that she didn’t see one of their three children—X Æ A-Xii, 4, Exa Dark Sideræl, 3, and Techno Mechanicus, 2—for a grueling five months.

“Spent a year locked in battle in a state with terrible mothers’ rights, having my Instagram posts and modeling used as reasons I shouldn’t have my kids,” Grimes shared on X/Twitter on Nov. 25. She also reflected on her painful breakup with Musk, saying, “Fighting and detaching from the love of my life as he becomes unrecognizable to me.”

Grimes, 36, described the uphill battle, claiming she fought with significantly fewer resources and legal experience than Musk, all while enduring months without seeing one of her children. “This is only what can be said publicly,” she added, “since most of my experience these last years should remain behind closed doors.”

The legal drama has been ongoing since October 2023, when Grimes filed a petition to establish parental rights. The cases, which have played out in both California and Texas courts, remain sealed, leaving many details unclear.

Amid the turmoil, Grimes expressed gratitude for the personal growth the struggle brought her. “I feel on top of the world right now,” she wrote. “And everything that used to give me anxiety feels like child’s play after all this. Ego death, ego birth—it’s everything an artist could dream of.” The experience has also inspired her next album, which she’s currently producing.

Adding another layer of heartbreak, Grimes’ mother, Sandy Garossino, accused Musk of preventing the children from seeing their ailing great-grandmother by withholding their passports. In a plea posted on X in July, Garossino wrote, “Please, Elon, I beg you. This is so painful for my mother and concerning for the kids. Time is of the essence now.”

Despite the drama, Grimes remains optimistic, attributing much of her strength to motherhood. “Having babies rips you apart and puts you back together,” she wrote. “Babies are ten thousand philosophy classes of s–t you can only learn from that experience.”