Elon Musk's mom Maye nearly turned down SI Swimsuit cover over 'wrinkles and cellulite'

Maye Musk nearly passed on the chance to make a splash in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit because she worried about looking "wrinkly" in the iconic magazine.

The Canadian-born, South African-raised model made history in 2022 as the oldest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model at 74. Martha Stewart later broke the record at 81 in 2023. Now, Musk is looking back at the milestone and her journey from a single mother of three to a sought-after model in her new book, "Timeless."

"At my age, you have wrinkles and cellulite on your arms and on your thighs, so I prefer to wear long sleeves," the mother of tech mogul Elon Musk told Fox News Digital. "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. She instantly said, 'You've got to go. Belize is beautiful.' So, I did. I took a chance."

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In the book, Musk wrote, "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?"

Despite her worries, Musk said she felt at ease when she began posing for photographer Yu Tsai. She even wore colorful two-pieces for the occasion.

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"It was very unusual," she said with a laugh. "I've been told all of my life that I'm not a swimsuit model. 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."

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Looking back, Musk said she wonders why she was so nervous.

"When women go to the beach, they wrap a towel around themselves," she said. "But men, they could be obese, and they're still strutting in Speedos with such confidence. 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 on you. It's not fair. But it's all about embracing who you are and not apologizing for that."

Musk didn't undergo a makeover to appear younger for the cover. Her signature silver hair remained untouched.

"Why do I need to color my hair?" Musk said. "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."

It wasn't the first time Musk took a chance on a modeling gig.

In her book, Musk describes a phone call she received from her agent: "Tomorrow, you pose naked for the cover of TIME magazine. You're the only model they want and they won't budge." 

Musk had never done a nude shoot because, as she wrote, "nobody had ever asked."

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Before stripping down, Musk sought advice from her children.

"I picked up the phone to dial Elon first, then stopped myself," Musk wrote. "I already knew what he would say: 'Absolutely not.' 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."

"Finally, I called Kimbal," she wrote. "Of my three children, he is the most relaxed and free-spirited. (He met his current wife at Burning Man.) 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.’"

Musk told Fox News Digital it was important for her to get her children's approval before posing nude.

"Well, would you want your mother naked on the front cover of a magazine?" she said. 

"But it was Kimbal who encouraged me. He said it would be tasteful. He's always been a free spirit. And I trust him. When I arrived for the photoshoot, they were very careful with me. You have a makeup artist who has to go through your whole body. Then they did my hair and very plain makeup. Then they sat me with a mirror in front of me, so I could see exactly what the photographer sees."

"The photographer came in for the shoot, and maybe five minutes later, it was over," she said. "It was really quick and very respectful. They immediately brought a robe for me. I got changed and went home. That's all there was to it."

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For Musk, aging with confidence isn't just about embracing wrinkles and silver hair. The longtime dietitian also believes that taking care of your health plays an important role in feeling your best at any age.

"It gets harder to lose weight as you get older," Musk said. "With my patients, I always tell them to plan ahead. If you get hungry, there's no salad next to you. There's a donut. Also, only eat when you're hungry. And when you are hungry, make sure there is healthy food around, no desserts or chocolates. And if my patient didn't take the journey seriously, I would tell them, 'You can't come anymore.'"

"Even 10 pounds can make you feel uncomfortable," she said. "Everything is tight and you don't have confidence. You have to track your food intake. If a patient goes off what I recommended, they need to explain why. You need to hold yourself accountable if you want to make smarter choices for your health."

Musk said each decade of her life has been better than the last. At 78, she's happily embracing aging and hopes other women will do the same.

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"When my mom was 86, she moved from South Africa to Canada and started all over," Musk said. "She was an artist. When she was nearing 90, her hands weren't strong enough to do the wood carvings she loved. So, by 94, she started doing computer art. My older sister taught her. She died at 98. But she always remained curious and busy. She was always exploring."

"You're never too old to start again," Musk said. "And don't worry about the wrinkles. A man doesn't care if he gets wrinkles. He still has his confidence. When you get insecure, you become less attractive. I didn't do anything to my face because I wanted to frown and have expression. But also, don't mix with people who make you feel insecure. They're not your friends. And there will be people who will push you down. You can't stay down. You just have to get up and show your talents, who you are."