In what seems like a story straight out of Days of Our Lives, I’m here to confirm that Errol Musk, father of tech billionaire Elon Musk, indeed had not one but two children with his former stepdaughter, Jana Bezuidenhout. The revelation came to light when Errol, then 76, disclosed to The Sun that he had welcomed a second child with Jana, 34, in 2019. The news emerged just three years after the birth of their first child together, Elliot Rush, nicknamed Rushi.
The story gets even more complicated when you consider that Errol married Jana’s mother, Heide, when Jana was merely four years old. The marriage lasted 18 years, during which Errol helped raise Jana. Years after his divorce from Heide, Errol and Jana reconnected under what he described as circumstances involving “lonely, lost people”.
What happened between Errol Musk and his stepdaughter?
And it looks like the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree in terms of their strange beliefs on breeding. Errol justified the relationship with a rather unsettling explanation: “The only thing we are on Earth for is to reproduce.” This philosophy seems to echo through generations, as Elon himself has publicly stated his desire to “help the underpopulation crisis” by having as many children as possible.
What further proves that the dynamics of this family are truly strange and should probably be studied is Errol’s decision to inform Elon about his second child with Jana via email on Father’s Day in 2022. According to Walter Isaacson’s biography, Errol wrote, “If I could have another child I would. I can’t see any reason not to.”
While Errol maintains that the second pregnancy “wasn’t planned,” he admitted that it likely occurred during the year-and-a-half period when he and Jana were living together after Rushi’s birth. Despite not conducting DNA tests, Errol claims the child bears striking resemblances to his other daughters, Rose and Tosca.
The relationship has caused considerable strain within the family. Errol’s other children “still feel a bit creepy about it“, viewing Jana as their sister. The 42-year age gap eventually led to the couple’s separation, though Errol hasn’t ruled out a future reconciliation, noting that Jana is “getting on” (aka getting older) as she approaches 35 and that alone is a sufficient reason in his mind for her to come back to him in the future.
Recent developments suggest the father-son relationship remains complicated, with Elon now in the news for his wildly eccentric endorsement of Trump and for making appearances at the former president’s rallies.
They often say history doesn’t repeat but it rhymes, so it’s not surprising to hear that Elon Musk is now the one with an estranged child. His transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, has publicly criticized her father’s political stance and behavior. Meanwhile, Michael Keaton and Stephen King have joined the growing chorus of voices speaking out against Musk’s recent political affiliations.
While Errol is living his best life and maintains he has absolutely no regrets, the repercussions of his choices continue to ripple through the Musk family, affecting relationships across generations.