Elon Musk's attorney, Alex Spiro, has threatened legal action over an upcoming documentary. The attorney is alleging that the documentary falsely suggests that the outspoken trillionaire manipulated the 2024 presidential election.
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"This project did not begin as an inquiry," Spiro wrote in a letter to director Alex Gibney, via PEOPLE. "It began with a conclusion."
However, a spokesperson for the company behind the documentary has pushed back on Spiro's claims.
"Alex Gibney's films are consistently recognized for their in-depth, fact-driven explorations of influential figures and corporations, coupled with his bold and engaging directorial style," the spokesperson argued.
The documentary, titled Musk, recently debuted at the Venice Film Festival. During that debut, it became clear that Ashley St. Clair, Musk's former partner, who has since become outspoken against him, discussed Musk's 'reaction' to the election results.
"In the documentary, St. Clair discusses Musk's reaction to the November 2024 election, saying he appeared to have a "degree of certainty" that Donald Trump would win that 'I had never seen before,'" PEOPLE reports.
It was after that debut that Spiro sent in his letter, threatening potential legal action.
Elon Musk Would Likely Sue for Defamation
According to Spiro, the documentary could potentially be viewed as defamatory. Interestingly, that could still be the case even if it doesn't explicitly state that Musk helped manipulate the election.
"Defamation does not require an express accusation," Spiro wrote. He then noted that defamation can also be conveyed via "juxtaposition, sequencing, narration, scoring, or the omission of known exculpatory facts."
Nevertheless, the spokesperson for the company has since hit back against those claims.
"The right to engage in open debate and fact-based examinations of powerful public figures is protected by the First Amendment — something that should be recognized and defended by all Americans," the spokesperson said. "...Including the associates of Elon Musk, who has proclaimed himself to be a 'free speech absolutist.'"
This certainly seems like a battle that is set to rage on. Therefore, if the documentary does gain wider distribution, we could witness a very public defamation lawsuit in the near future.
