Japanese star Ayumi Hamasaki shuts down speculation about Elon Musk being her kids’ father.
Renowned Japanese pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki has denied rumours that she shares a child with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, calling the speculation “just not true”.
The speculations sparked after American author Ashley St Claire told The New York Times in late May that Elon Musk fathered a child with a Japanese pop star.
Earlier in February, St Claire also claimed on the social media platform X that she and Musk share a son—adding to Musk’s tally of 14 known children.
Fuelled by online speculation, netizens began pointing fingers at Hamasaki, 46, a music legend in Japan with millions of fans across Asia.
However, the singer took to Instagram to quash the rumour with a statement issued in Japanese.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on this, and I guess it’s time for me to speak up,” Hamasaki wrote. “Elon Musk is not the father of either of my children.”
With her signature wit, she acknowledged why some might find the rumour believable. “Even my mum laughed when she heard the rumours, saying, ‘This seems kind of Ayu-like,’ and honestly, if I were someone else, I’d probably think the same,” she said. “But again, it’s just not true.”
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Hamasaki, a mother of two, was previously married to Austrian actor Manuel Schwarz and later to American medical student Tyson Bodkin. She also had a high-profile relationship with actor-singer Tomoya Nagase that ended in 2007.
The singer explained her decision to publicly respond, saying, “When my kids are old enough to start googling things, I don’t want them to stumble upon this and think it’s real. So I’m firmly denying it.”
Known for iconic hits like Seasons (2000) and Blue Bird (2006), Hamasaki has had an illustrious career since her 1998 debut.
She holds the record as the first female solo artist in Japan to have 25 consecutive No. 1 singles.
Despite ongoing health struggles, she lost hearing in her left ear in 2008 and has begun losing hearing in her right ear; Hamasaki continues to perform.
She is currently on her 2025 Asia tour, I Am Ayu Ep II, with a stop scheduled in Singapore on July 5.
