Ashley St. Clair passed on $40 million to speak out about Elon Musk

“When you’re offered something like that, it causes a debate in your head about what your speech means and how valuable that is. Why do they want to offer me this amount of money not to speak?” she said, before stating her rationale behind joining Gibney’s film, which premieres at Venice (via Variety) on Tuesday. “Alex spoke about Elon’s unreality. He has complicated relationships generally, but his most complicated relationship is with the truth.” St. Clair went on to say that her decision to turn down the money was for her children (St. Clair has a second child from a previous relationship). “Most importantly, I want to set the example for my kids that you should never take being materially comfortable over speaking the truth.”

St. Clair’s participation in Gibney’s documentary is the latest attempt by the former Turning Point USA brand ambassador to distance herself from her previous role in the MAGA movement, which she has since called a “cult.” “Obviously, at times I’ve lacked empathy… being in politics and the things I’ve said,” she told former Republican strategist Tim Miller on his Bulwark Podcast in March. As for how St. Clair plans to make amends for this lack of empathy toward the trans community (to cite but one example), beyond telling everyone she turned down $40 million to appear in buzzy documentaries that is, couldn’t be ascertained as of this writing. Still, she wants everyone to know she’s grown beyond this whole “right-wing shitposter” identity that put her in this romantic whirlwind with Musk to begin with. “I got involved with Republican politics when I was 18 after I met Charlie Kirk, and there was an air of ignorance,” she continued. “But that ignorance does not excuse any role in that. I hope the risk that I’m taking now in speaking out and trying to fight back at least helps a little bit.”