Grimes Is Over Elon Musk Making Spectacle Of Their Kids After Bizarre Trump Presser

Elon Musk is the proud father of 12 kids, three of whom he shares with his former partner, Grimes: X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl, and Techno Mechanicus. The celebrity couple had a tumultuous relationship to say the least, culminating in a tragic custody battle between Musk and Grimes. When it comes to coparenting, the Canadian singer-songwriter wants their kids to enjoy a relatively private life, while her ex takes the opposite viewpoint. Grimes voiced her exasperation on social media on February 11, after Musk took X Æ A-Xii, nicknamed "Lil X," to work on a day that included a high-profile press conference. 

The four-year-old hung out with his tech billionaire father as Musk proudly joined President Donald Trump, who was sitting at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. A throng of reporters and flashing cameras captured the half-hour event. Grimes, however, didn't know about her son's participation until she saw the footage online. "Lil X was very polite today!" a user on X, formerly known as Twitter, told her. "He was so cute when he told DJT 'please forgive me, I need to pee.'"

Grimes responded in minutes, sadly admitting, "He should not be in public like this. I did not see this, thank u for alerting me. But I'm glad he was polite. Sigh." As footage of the event demonstrates, Lil X was remarkably patient and well-behaved. He alternated between sitting on the floor and on Musk's shoulders. Viewers were amused as Lil X engaged in kid-centric behaviors like picking his nose and plugging his fingers into Musk's ears while perching on his dad's shoulders.

Grimes has long been an advocate for keeping her children out of the spotlight. In fact, she didn't even formally announce the birth of her third kid with Elon Musk. Currently, it seems to be only their eldest, X Æ A-Xii (aka Lil X), who keeps popping up at prominent events alongside his famous father. Lil X eagerly joined him on January 19, 2025, when Musk went up to the podium at a pre-inauguration rally, adding levity to what many deemed to be a pretty awkward speech. While Musk indicated that Lil X's onstage appearance was completely impromptu, the little boy was notably already a veteran of such high-profile political engagements.

When a user on X questioned the SpaceX co-founder's public misbehavior in January 2025, Grimes' response indicated her own frustration at getting him to empathize with her stance as a concerned mother. "I have made it clear I do not approve of that in every conceivable way I know how," she wrote at the time, adding, "I am desperate to solve it. It is a personal tragedy to me. But currently I don't know how to do that."

The Canadian singer-songwriter previously confessed that she wasn't able to be with all her kids during the custody proceedings either. In addition, Grimes' mother, Sandy Garossino, discussed her own difficulties even planning a visit with her grandchildren. Unable to speak to Musk privately, Garossino posted her message on X in July 2024. She outlined her confusion after seeing media coverage of Lil X with Musk, when the boy and his siblings were reportedly supposed to join Grimes on this family trip.