In the highly polarized world of cable news and talk shows, certain celebrities become lightning rods for criticism. Yet, the recent controversy involving Joy Behar of The View and tech magnate Elon Musk escalated beyond typical media critique, transforming a hot-topic debate into a potential multimillion-dollar legal liability.

The segment saw Behar launch a series of “wild bids to smear” Musk, culminating in an on-air accusation of him being an “apartheid supporter since childhood.” The statement was so “absurd,” according to reports, that producers were forced to intervene, leading to a reluctant and highly scrutinized apology. The fallout from the incident highlights what critics argue is a relentless media bias, now frequently labeled “Elon Derangement Syndrome,” and raises the serious prospect of a high-stakes defamation lawsuit against ABC.

The initial claims made by Behar and her co-hosts were a rapid-fire attack on Musk’s character and legal status. While discussing the motivations of Donald Trump, Behar pivoted sharply to Musk, stating he “kisses his butt,” and then delivered the shocking punchline:

“He can take a nap while the guy was not born in this country uh who was born under apartheid in South Africa so has that mentality going on.”

This single statement was immediately criticized as a “grand trifecta of nonsense.” It not only sought to reinvent Trump’s motives but also smeared Musk’s character with a deeply offensive claim and made a “baseless swipe at his citizenship” in under 60 seconds.

The misinformation reached a fever pitch as co-hosts joined the fray, questioning Musk’s legal status. They openly labeled him a “foreign agent,” an “enemy of the United States,” and speculated about his path to naturalization, asking the wholly unfounded question: “How did he do that? Did he come over the board illegally?”

The video transcript emphasizes the necessity of debunking this “bubble of pure misinformation.” Records confirm that Musk first arrived in the U.S. as a Canadian citizen, progressed through the legal system via a student visa, moved to an H-1B work visa, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2002. The fundamental inability of a major television program to “nail the basics” quickly became a central point of criticism regarding their credibility.

The situation reached a critical point when the gravity of Behar’s apartheid accusation—a potentially defamatory claim linking a public figure to a racist, repressive regime—forced intervention from the network’s producers. Following a commercial break, Behar was made to issue a retraction.

The apology, however, was laced with reluctance and passive aggression. Behar acknowledged she was receiving “some flack” for saying Musk was pro-apartheid. She then added a series of non-committal statements that critics found infuriatingly weak: “I don’t really know for sure if he was. He grew up at that time when apartheid was in was in full bloom… maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t.” She concluded the retraction with a sarcastic warning: “So, don’t be suing me, okay?”

This grudging retraction only served to amplify the controversy, highlighting what critics perceive as “The View’s” selective adherence to journalistic standards, often only complying with the truth when faced with legal or commercial risk.

Following the clips being widely shared on social media, Elon Musk himself responded with a succinct and powerful statement: “maybe it’s time to sue.”

This is no idle threat. The video highlights that ABC previously paid a reported $15 million settlement to Donald Trump in a similar defamation lawsuit, suggesting that “round two is on the horizon” against a “different kind of Titan.” For critics of the show, a legal challenge represents an opportunity to hold the network accountable for what they see as politically motivated character assassination.

The controversy, according to analysts, is part of a larger phenomenon: “Elon derangement syndrome.” This term, which Musk himself discussed during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, draws a direct parallel to the media’s coverage of the former president.

Musk noted the absurdity of the situation, questioning how he could have been “a hero of the left” only two years prior—a “modern-day god” championed for Tesla and SpaceX—and suddenly become a “villain at age 53” without a “brain transplant.”

Critics argue that the media has adopted the “exact same playbook” used against Trump to “completely distort who you are.” They highlight that the left previously celebrated Musk’s technological vision and even noted his donation to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. Now that he has “crossed to the other side” politically, the same outlets are quick to “demonize him.”

To directly counter the baseless “apartheid supporter” claim, the video delves into the documented details of Musk’s troubled upbringing in South Africa during the apartheid era. Far from being a privileged beneficiary of the racist regime, Musk described his childhood as “rough,” marked by “plenty of fights” and a difficult relationship with his father, Errol Musk, admitting he was “almost beaten to death.”

The details paint a picture of isolation and difficulty. Sources, including his ex-wife, confirm that Musk dreaded school due to brutal bullying, which included being pelted with soda cans. His mother, Maye Musk, has also spoken of his abusive father—a major factor in the parents’ divorce.

Crucially, a New York Times article is cited, recounting an incident where Musk was once bullied specifically for calling out a white student who was using an anti-Black slur. This documented instance of him standing up against racism in a segregated society directly contradicts Behar’s narrative of a “pro apartheid mentality.”

Further insight is provided by Musk’s biographer, who described Errol Musk as having “jackal and hyde personalities”—a man with a “great mind of engineering” who was also “psychologically abusive.” The strained relationship continues to this day, with both Elon and his brother Kimbal having cut off communication with their father. The video also highlights the controversial personal life of Errol, who fathered children with his own stepdaughter.

The contrast between the painful reality of Musk’s childhood and the simplistic, defamatory smear launched on The View serves as the core emotional anchor of the controversy. The narrative is one of a self-made titan being targeted by established media figures who prefer a politically convenient caricature over the complex, and often difficult, truth. The final, looming threat of a lawsuit ensures that the conversation surrounding “The View’s” credibility and journalistic integrity is far from over.