Elon Musk’s Sister Is Building a Romance Empire, But His Politics Are Threatening It All

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Here I am, deep into editing sessions at Passionflix HQ, nestled in the suburbs of Atlanta, late January. A soft vanilla scent fills the reception, while Milky Chance’s upbeat tunes fill the air. In the mixing room, a man with a chiseled jaw and piercing blue eyes, Michael Roark, is my current focus. He plays Butch, a half-breed vampire in our latest adaptation – the popular paranormal erotica series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood. I can’t help but say he could spark chemistry with even a paper bag!

The humble office, situated within a former pharmacy, exudes a blend of casual professionalism that suits a contemporary romance tycoon, carrying an NSFW undertone but remaining completely appropriate for the workplace. However, a discernible tension permeates Passionflix, a $6.99 monthly streaming platform producing adaptations of steamy novels with budgets typically under $1 million, as Musk, aged 50, directs most of its content. “It’s been a challenging week,” she admits. Just a week prior to this interview, Tosca’s elder brother, Elon Musk, delivered a speech at Donald Trump’s inauguration, which some people, including many of Passionflix’s predominantly female subscribers, perceived as a Nazi salute. Elon’s rapid rise to political prominence and polarizing figure is now impacting Tosca’s business, leading to cancellations from numerous Passionflix subscribers — hundreds, according to a post on Maye Musk’s X account. When Tosca defended Elon on X by posting photos of other political leaders making similar gestures, a fan on Passionflix’s Facebook page captured the post and commented, “I’m deeply disappointed in Passionflix.” Many others echoed this sentiment. “This is despicable,” one user wrote.

I find it utterly bewildering to even consider someone harboring such negative views about my family, as Tosca voices her disbelief regarding accusations suggesting Elon’s gesture might have white supremacist undertones. “That’s not who we are,” she firmly states. While I stand by Elon, the growing complexities of being a Musk sibling are becoming more apparent. Given that my professional endeavors revolve around catering to women’s desires, it’s less than ideal when my brother becomes the symbol of a powerful tech-political camaraderie that is causing widespread unease across the nation.

Tosca has traditionally supported Democratic causes, contributing funds to Democratic U.S. senators from Georgia, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. She also aided in hosting a fundraiser for Stacey Abrams during her 2022 run as Georgia’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate. Furthermore, she attended certain inauguration-week events in Washington, D.C., with Maye, and was photographed alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was a potential nominee for Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary. Regarding her family, Tosca states, “I cherish my family deeply, and I will always stand by them. However, their convictions and ways of thinking aren’t necessarily mine. Everyone has their own beliefs and priorities.

Starting from 2017, Tosca has primarily focused her professional efforts on developing Passionflix. Despite a significant increase in print sales of romance novels since 2020 and the consistent success of series like Universal’s “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise and Netflix’s “Bridgerton,” romantic films haven’t received the same level of mainstream Hollywood attention as genres such as comic books or toys. Tosca ponders, “Where are our ‘Notting Hill’ and ‘When Harry Met Sally’?” These were films that I adored growing up, and I still yearn to see more of them, but they seem to be absent from the scene today, and I can’t quite figure out why.

With a lack of interest paving the way, Tosca seized an opportunity to transform popular romance novels into streaming content. Operating with only nine full-time staff members, including its CEO, Passionflix provides its service through an app accessible in 150 countries. Notable events like PassionCon, where authors and stars engage in discussions and the “Passionista Choice Awards” occur, while fans enjoy themed premieres in their pajamas – Tosca herself expressing her preference for comfort wear, stating, “As a woman, I just want to be in my pajamas. No one wants to be in Spanx. No one.” Tosca remains discreet about the number of subscribers Passionflix boasts, but shares that the subscription revenue allows for the production of six new movies annually, and she aims for more. “We’re almost at the point where we won’t require additional funding,” she states, adding, “We may need to secure additional investment this year.” Tosca’s major investors include First Look Media’s Topic Studios, known for producing films such as Spotlight and Spencer, and AMC Networks, along with several smaller investors. She refrains from confirming whether Elon is among the smaller investors. This June marks the launch of Passionflix’s most extensive production to date – the premiere of The Black Dagger Brotherhood, based on J.R. Ward’s successful 23-book series about vampire warriors and their female admirers.

Tosca expresses her delight in the modest scale of Passionflix, stating, ‘I believe it’s crucial for decisions about romance content not to be made by male executives in studios, but rather by us.’ She cherishes the freedom to create the stories she desires, ones that resonate with the team at Passionflix.

The projects encompass transformations of three novels from Sylvain Reynard’s popular Gabriel series, a saga reminiscent of Fifty Shades, featuring a graduate student drawn into a relationship with her tormented Dante professor. In one scene from the movie, shared over 7,800 times on TikTok, Gabriel expresses his longing for her, stating, “I yearn for you, yet it’s not merely a carnal craving,” to which his virginal student responds by biting her lower lip. The majority of comments on the video fall into the category, “Why can’t real men be like this?” Passionflix content is more explicit than Hallmark but less graphic than porn, even less so than some R-rated films – there’s no explicit nudity below the waistline for instance.

In addition, there are lighter options such as Amy Daws’ novel “Wait With Me“, a story about a romance writer facing writer’s block who begins writing in a tire store waiting room for free coffee and falls for a handsome mechanic. As Andrew Biernat, who plays the charming mechanic in “Wait With Me” and appears as a vampire in “Black Dagger Brotherhood“, puts it, “One comment I’ve received from fans is that they appreciate how closely Passionflix movies adhere to the dialogue and plot of the books, even going so far as to replicate what the characters wear.” Tosca, the director behind these film adaptations, pays close attention to detail, as small as a single thread. The author of the “Gabriel” series, Reynard (a pseudonym for a Canadian writer whose true identity is kept secret), shares that during the filming of a lecture scene at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Tosca requested the author to review the slides in the background of the character’s PowerPoint presentation for accuracy. According to Reynard, who answered questions via email, “Tosca aims to create film adaptations that are true to the books and prioritize readers’ experiences.” This dedication to faithfulness extends to her involvement at every stage of production, allowing Reynard significant input into aspects ranging from the script to casting, locations, and sets.

***

Tosca, the wealthy man’s sister and single mom of two, maintains a content yet unostentatious existence. Located in a wooded neighborhood approximately 30 minutes from Atlanta, she relocated here from Los Angeles in 2021, drawn by Georgia’s tax advantages for film production, lower living expenses for her staff, and quality educational institutions, as she explains. Her home is adorned with creams and blues, featuring a spiral wooden staircase, plush sofas, and expansive windows that frame stands of birch trees. In her spare time, she manages a children’s theater group—currently working on Mean Girls Junior, The Musical—and enjoys assembling jigsaw puzzles while listening to audiobooks and sipping red wine. Standing tall with her mother’s vibrant blue eyes and prominent cheekbones, Tosca feels most at ease either directing on set or cozied up with a good book.

Tosca, who is now 39 years old, welcomed twins, a boy and girl, both aged 11, through in vitro fertilization using an anonymous sperm donor. As she was growing older, not in a relationship, but deeply yearning for children, she made the decision to become a mother on her own. “It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” she shares. Tosca identifies as ‘happily single’ and playfully hints at her affection towards Alexander Skarsgard. Her admiration for the tall Swedish actor is quite renowned among her colleagues, who even gifted her a photo calendar of him for her desk. Tosca confesses that her deepest affections are reserved for her children and Passionflix. If she were to have a romantic partner, she feels it would divert attention from either her children or Passionflix.

Initially, Tosca was an ardent admirer of the romance genre. Growing up in South Africa during the 1980s, she would often spend her Sunday afternoons with Maye, watching VHS tapes of book adaptations and TV miniseries like “I’ll Take Manhattan” and “Mistral’s Daughter”, which were based on Judith Krantz’s popular Cinderella-style novels. Krantz was known for her portrayal of unfulfilled desires, her stories offering a glimpse into the era’s notion of glamour, sometimes featuring real-life figures. In an unusual and almost dreamlike scene from “I’ll Take Manhattan” in 1987, Valerie Bertinelli played a determined, three-time divorced woman of 29, who inherited her father’s fashion magazine empire after his death and received a loan from the then-rising New York real estate tycoon Donald Trump to help with it.

Growing up, Tosca recalls, Krantz romances offered her an example of contentment. As she puts it, “These stories often featured robust female protagonists who didn’t wallow in self-pity when things went wrong. Instead, they were feisty and independent, with their own thoughts and opinions. Even if they weren’t always perfect to start with, they learned and eventually found happiness.” (It was recently suggested by Krantz’s son that Passionflix might license some of these movies under a “Retro Romance” category.) Tosca’s parents divorced when she was 5, leaving her and her brother Kimbal with their mother, while Elon lived with their father, Errol. Though Tosca speaks highly of her mother, she is brief about her relationship with Errol: “We didn’t have much of a connection,” she admits. In her memoir published in 2019, Tosca’s mother described the marriage as abusive and claimed that Errol was violent; however, Errol refuted these allegations in a YouTube video titled “Errol Musk — Dad of a Genius.

Maye is one of Tosca’s most enthusiastic supporters, frequently sharing photos from Passionflix premieres and events on her Instagram and other social media platforms. She even had a minor role, alongside Tosca’s kids, in the Passionflix movie “Driven”, which was filmed during the pandemic with smaller casts as safety measures.

Maye, who strutted her stuff at New York Fashion Week at an impressive 76 years old, could easily be a character straight out of Judith Krantz’s novels, embodying both resilience and a penchant for glitzy attire. After parting ways with Errol in 1979, the year divorce was legalized in South Africa, Maye decided to pursue a career as a dietitian. During her studies, Maye’s daughter Tosca and brother Kimbal, now the owner of a renowned restaurant business in Denver, lived with her at the hospital where she was training, sharing accommodations in the doctors’ quarters and subsisting on cafeteria fare. At the age of 15, the family relocated to Canada, prompting Tosca to follow Maye’s advice and delve into the arts. She began working as a stagehand for a Shakespearean theater company after school and eventually rose through the ranks to become a stage manager. Pursuing her passion further, she enrolled in film studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and created a 15-minute film titled “Tied Apart“, which focused on the 1976 Soweto Uprising in South Africa where Black students protested against the mandatory use of Afrikaans as the language of instruction. “The story revolved around a white girl and a Black boy who were friends,” Tosca recalls. “She tries to dissuade him from participating in the protests as many children lost their lives during those times.” Determined to shoot the film in South Africa, Tosca confronted her professors and was eventually rewarded with the school’s “most promising graduate award.

For a brief period, Tosca collaborated with Elon and Kimbal in Silicon Valley at Zip2, a company they established in 1995 and sold to Compaq Computer for $305 million in 1999; however, Tosca did not receive any proceeds from the sale. Speaking about this detour in her career, she expressed, “I came to understand that the internet wasn’t really my field.” At the age of 25, she penned and started directing her debut feature film, a romantic production titled “Puzzled“. Elon provided financing for this project, but unfortunately, the movie was never released. “During the making of that film,” Tosca explained, “I didn’t manage to raise all the funds required.” She continued, “And what I learned afterward is that if you don’t secure all the necessary funding, you won’t be able to complete the project.” Contrary to popular belief, it’s important to note that Tosca’s brother doesn’t foot the bill for her every need; she clarified this misconception.

After finding her way back to Canada, Tosca predominantly focused on TV movie productions. In her mid-thirties, she was given a second chance to direct, leading to ‘You Cast a Spell on Me’ for ION Television – a film about a psychiatrist and a warlock where a single kiss transfers all his power to her. Tosca described it as a tale exploring the idea that love is magical. Impressed by this movie, writer Joany Kane proposed directing one of her scripts. Although this project didn’t materialize, their mutual passion for romance novels sparked the creation of Passionflix. In 2017, with an original film and some licensed content under their belt, they attended the Romantic Times Booklovers convention, pitching benefits to potential members such as behind-the-scenes access. Within a few months, they had amassed 4,000 founding members who prepaid $100 for a two-year subscription (Kane and another founding partner, Jina Panebianco, later parted ways with the company).

Tosca admits that her primary hurdle at the moment is keeping subscribers due to an increase in streaming platforms and their tendency to keep content exclusive. Previously, Passionflix secured romance movies from studios such as Paramount and MGM, but following the launch of Paramount+ in 2021 and Amazon’s acquisition of MGM in 2022, this content has either become prohibitively expensive or unattainable. Tosca emphasizes that the main struggle is preventing subscribers from canceling their subscriptions. She acknowledges that this issue is not unique to Passionflix but affects all streaming services. When asked if she intends to sell Passionflix, Tosca reveals that she has pondered it but would find it difficult to relinquish creative control. In discussions with potential buyers, they often express the need for Tosca to accept that she will no longer have decision-making power over content production. However, Tosca expresses a desire to continue making creative decisions and admits that she could benefit from an injection of substantial funding.

***

As adults, the Musk siblings maintain a strong bond but live independently. According to Tosca, they don’t get together often due to their busy schedules, with Tosca remarking that Elon is particularly occupied. In fact, since this conversation, Elon has been incredibly active, focusing on dismantling certain federal departments for Trump. This includes USAID and the Department of Education through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In a period when some women such as RFK Jr.’s cousin Caroline and Trump’s niece Mary have openly distanced themselves from their male relatives’ politics, Tosca maintains a more reserved stance regarding any disagreements she might have with Elon. “It is common for individuals to hold differing views from family members, leading to divisiveness within families, and it’s unfortunate,” Tosca states. “Family always comes first. It is crucial to discover methods of communicating with your family and finding ways to interact with people you don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye with.” When inquired later via email about the growing influence of Elon within the Trump administration, Tosca chose not to provide a comment.

It’s possible that the main risk here lies in Elon potentially straining Tosca’s ties with the primary talents behind Passionflix, which are the romance authors. Following the inauguration, a disgruntled fan expressed on Facebook that they had cancelled their subscription and were urging authors to seek alternative methods for showcasing their work on-screen. However, the author of the Gabriel series, Reynard, remains committed to the company. “I won’t dictate how my readers should spend their earned money,” Reynard states. “Previously, in politics, one didn’t target someone’s family. Tosca handled the adaptation of the initial three [Gabriel] books admirably and I remain optimistic that someday, she will adapt the fourth.

After Elon’s inauguration speech, there was a modest decrease in subscribers. However, Tosca mentioned that she received feedback from several subscribers who were extremely supportive and comprehended why a sister might react strongly to someone using such vile language towards her brother.

Moving ahead, Tosca expresses her ambition to expand the range of romantic portrayals on Passionflix. She aspires that we reach great heights and are capable of telling a myriad of love stories. Currently, we have male-female relationships. However, we aim to include male-male, female-female relationships too. We also want to show sisterly love, brotherly love, familial love, friendships, and everything in between. Tosca hopes that Passionflix becomes a go-to destination for exploring the many facets of love.

Tosca’s concept seems to be a romanticized escapism, similar to the pleasant endings from Judith Krantz miniseries that brought comfort during her childhood. It revolves around the belief that love, or at least the kind of love portrayed as soft lighting, chiseled abs, and tantalizingly bitten lips (the kind typically found on Passionflix), can triumph over all challenges.

You can find this story in the February 12th edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To stay updated, consider subscribing.

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2025-02-13 17:27