Elon Musk's Mom Maye Almost Rejected 'SI Swimsuit' Cover Because She Felt 'Too Wrinkly' and Insecure: 'I Have Cellulite'

Elon Musk's mom, Maye Musk, almost passed up a career milestone because she worried she was "too wrinkly" to wear a swimsuit on camera.

The model revealed she was initially hesitant to pose for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, admitting showing off her body made her uncomfortable. At the time, she was 74 years old and had concerns about how her appearance would translate on the cover.

“At my age, you have wrinkles and cellulite on your arms and on your thighs, so I prefer to wear long sleeves,” she said. “So, the idea of wearing a swimsuit was very uncomfortable. But then my daughter called me. I told her they were going to be shooting in Belize.”

Maye ultimately went on to make history in 2022 as the oldest model to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit at 74. Her record was surpassed the following year by Martha Stewart, who graced the cover at 81.

Looking back on the experience, Maye also reflected on her journey as a model and single mother, offering a glimpse into the self-doubt she had to overcome before stepping in front of the camera.

In her new book, Maye went in depth about her decision to do the cover of the famous magazine, stating, “I was still 73. My skin showed the signs of my weight having cycled up and down so many times in my life, including for each of my pregnancies. I'm wrinkly, and I have cellulite. Swimsuit model?"

After getting over her fear, she stated that she felt comfortable posing for the photographer Yu Tsai, even wearing a colorful two-piece bikini.

“It was very unusual. I’ve been told all of my life that I’m not a swimsuit model,” she recalled. “When you think of swimsuit models, you think of the Victoria’s Secret models. Those are really special body shapes. So it was a challenge for me. But as I say, you have to take a chance in life. And I knew they're not going to publish ugly photos. At one point, I felt so at ease that I even started dancing with the local people. I was in awe of exploring a new country, a new culture. That's what I love doing. And I got to celebrate me."

Maye began to question why she was nervous about doing the photoshoot in the first place.

“When women go to the beach, they wrap a towel around themselves, but men, they could be obese, and they’re still strutting in Speedos with such confidence,” she noted. “We really have to make a change. And if any man insults your body, well, they can get lost. There’s always going to be somebody who feels the need to trash you. It’s not fair. But it’s all about embracing who you are and not apologizing for that.”

Maye added, “Why do I need to color my hair?” You have to do the roots every four weeks, and I used to do them myself. Your hair then becomes very brittle because it’s so damaged. And it grows out. And then I decided to cut my hair short. Soon after, I had four billboards in Times Square. I didn’t feel like a granny. I felt fashionable."

Maye's modeling career didn’t end with Sports Illustrated. In her book, she revisited the time she received a call from her agent about TIME magazine wanting her to pose n--- for their cover. “Tomorrow, you pose naked for the cover of TIME Magazine. You’re the only model they want, and they won’t budge.”

Maye, who never posed n--- for a shoot, remembers getting advice from her children. “I picked up the phone to dial Elon first, then stopped myself; I already knew what he would say: ‘Absolutely not,’” she wrote. “He was not the kind of son who wanted his mother naked on magazine covers. Not prudish, but definitely more conservative when it came to nudity. So I called Tosca. I wasn’t too surprised to find that she was not in love with the idea either. ‘You never do naked!’ she said. Her instinct was protective, not wanting me to risk an uncomfortable experience.”

Maye continued, “Finally, I called Kimbal. Of my three children, he is the most relaxed and free-spirited. He had a completely different perspective. ‘It’s TIME magazine. It’s journalism,’ he said. ‘Not some nudie magazine. It’ll be tasteful. You have nothing to worry about. Do it.’”

“But it was Kimbal who encouraged me,” she told Fox News Digital. “He said it would be tasteful. He’s always been a free spirit. And I trust him."