Elon Musk sparked widespread online backlash after tweeting, “I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life” in response to Taylor Swift’s playful description of herself as a “childless cat lady.”
Swift’s original post, accompanied by a picture of her cat, referenced a comment made by Republican Senator JD Vance, who once sarcastically referred to Democrats as “a bunch of childless cat ladies.” The billionaire’s tweet, however, seemed to take the lighthearted joke in a different direction, leading to many people online branding his response as creepy and inappropriate.
Fine Taylor … you win … I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 11, 2024
The comment was met with swift backlash. “Am I reading this right, that you are offering to have a child with Taylor Swift?” one user responded. Others expressed their disgust, with many labeling the comment disturbing.
One commenter quipped, “Sir, you have reached unseen levels of divorced,” poking fun at Musk’s multiple marriages and high-profile breakups. Popular Twitch streamer Hasan Piker didn’t mince words either, bluntly calling Musk a “gross piece of sh*t.”
Although Musk has a penchant for sharing offbeat remarks online, this tweet struck many as especially bizarre. Fans of Swift quickly defended her, with one noting, “Taylor wants precisely zero to do with you,” and others expressing their frustration over the increasingly unsettling nature of his online behavior.
The billionaire, who is known for his erratic posts, seemingly shrugged off the backlash, but the tweet once again highlighted the consequences of his offhand comments. While Musk may have intended the remark to be humorous, many online felt it crossed a line, further fueling the ongoing debate over what is and isn’t acceptable behavior on social media—regardless of status or wealth.
Swift, who recently made history as the first solo artist to perform at Wembley Stadium eight times in a single tour, has remained silent on the matter, but her fan base has made their thoughts loud and clear: Musk’s tweet was a misstep.
