Why Grimes Says She Had To Rely On Elon Musk To Afford A Home For Her Children
Celebrities, they're just like us.
Instagram / Twitter Ex-girlfriend of the richest man on Earth and “Oblivion” singer, Grimes, has never been shy when it comes to making sociopolitical statements on her various social media platforms. Most recently, she’s been advocating for housing bills in Texas and even promoting petitions to help move those bills along — actions that have garnered criticism.
After someone claimed that Grimes was “set” and implied that because of her wealth, her opinion on the housing market didn’t matter, she revealed that she actually struggled to purchase her own home in Austin.
Grimes says she needed help from Elon Musk to buy a home for her and their children.
The housing market all across the country is in turmoil, and this doesn’t exclude Austin, Texas, where Grimes struggled to buy a home due to ever-increasing prices. On September 26, 2022, the singer-songwriter, who dated Musk for three years and shares two children with him, posted a petition from local politicians who plan on tackling the housing affordability crisis in the Austin area.
“My fellow Texans! petitions can feel useless but I guarantee local politicians are taking these seriously,” she wrote in a tweet. “Plz sign to reduce housing costs in Austin. There’s effective legislation on the table here but we need public support.”
Skepticism was immediate as Twitter users voiced their concerns that petitions don’t work and suggested their own ideas of how to fix the housing affordability crisis. Grimes followed up her original tweet and backed her information up by looking at Houston, Texas, as an example of places where these policies have worked.
“We MUST avoid austin becoming like SF, where the original population can’t afford to live there anymore due to the tech boom,” she wrote in defense.
Some people don't think Grimes should be giving her input on the housing market.
Apparently sick of the singer’s take on the housing market, one Twitter user snapped back, saying “Grimes you are set, your opinion on ‘the housing market’ is invalid.”
This was an obvious finger-point at the singer’s wealth and success as a musical artist, claiming that because Grimes should have no problem buying a home her opinion is no longer valid.
“First of all I couldn’t afford to buy a house that fits my kids in Austin atm without help from their dad which is INSANE cuz I’m a p successful artist,” she revealed in response. “Secondly, these aren’t my opinions, I’ve just agreed to help out some actual experts/ policy makers.”
The same Twitter user doubled down, claiming that she’s still set since she was able to get help from the richest person on Earth, but Grimes doesn’t feel like that means she can’t do her part in helping out.
“I’m not worried about me,” Grimes continued, “I’m worried about the citizens of Austin. I’m using myself as an example of the extreme wealth needed to live comfortably here which wasn’t the case in the near past.”
Musk has since tweeted about housing prices.
Though Musk never confirmed or denied Grimes' claim that he helped her purchase a home, he has publicly acknowledged housing prices. In response to a tweet discussing the decline in housing prices, Musk noted that this decline would "accelerate, as high interest rates make homes less affordable."
In October 2023, Grimes' tweeted that she's since left Austin for California, but still campaigns for affordable housing in the Austin area.
"My friends have worked so tirelessly to pass bills that allow for less regulation, more building, and the big one we rly care about is smaller minimum lot sizes, so more ppl can have more affordable dwellings," she wrote on Twitter.
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics.