Grimes Says ‘Fame Is Something You Should Consent to’ After Son’s Oval Office Appearance with Dad Elon Musk

"I would really like people to stop posting images of my kid everywhere," said Grimes

Amid Elon Musk's new role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Grimes hopes her children will be kept out of the spotlight.

The singer-songwriter recently responded to critics who called her out after criticizing Musk for having their son X Æ A-Xii, 4, with him in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Feb. 11, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting DOGE more power.

"It was like, 'Grimes slams,' 'Grimes speaks out.' It's like, OK, it was a reply. But I would really like people to stop posting images of my kid everywhere," she said in an interview with Time published on Monday, Feb. 24.

Grimes told the outlet she believes "fame is something you should consent to."

Related: Elon Musk's 13 Children: All About the Tesla CEO's Sons and Daughters (and the 4 Women He Shares Them With)

"Obviously, things will just be what they are. But I would really, really appreciate that. I can only ask, so I'm just asking," she added.

During his appearance at the Oval Office with his father, X was photographed making various faces or grabbing at his father.

Grimes claimed on X that she didn't know that their son would be making the public appearance.

She made the statement after a random X user wrote under one of her posts, "Lil X was very polite today! You raised him well. He was so cute when he told DJT 'please forgive me, I need to pee.' "

Related: Elon Musk and Grimes' Relationship: A Look Back

"He should not be in public like this. I did not see this, thank u for alerting me. But I'm glad he was polite. Sigh," she wrote in response.

Grimes and Musk broke up in September 2021 after three years together. Three months later, they quietly welcomed daughter Exa Dark Sideræl via surrogate.

In September 2023, it was revealed that the two welcomed their child together, son Techno Mechanicus, in June 2022.

Since then, Grimes has asked for her children's privacy, and publicly distanced herself from him, most recently in January when he made a one-armed gesture that heavily resembled a Nazi salute.

She addressed social media users' urge for her to publicly denounce the gesture, writing in part on X: "It's absurd that someone can be this cancelled for something their ex did before they even heard it happened."

"I am not him," she continued. "I will not make a statement every time he does something. I can only send love back into a world that is hurting."

The Tesla CEO is also father to six other children with his ex-wife, Justine Wilson. Their eldest, Nevada Alexander, died of infant death syndrome (SIDS) at 10 weeks old. He shares three other children with Shivon Zilis, an executive at one of his companies.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

Earlier this month, author Ashley St. Clair claimed on X that she and Musk welcomed a child together in September 2024, possibly making him a father of 13.