A full-blown legal battle has erupted between Elon Musk and German public broadcaster ZDF, with the owner of platform X filing a sweeping lawsuit against the network over what he described as coverage containing outrageous falsehoods that portrayed him as having incited violent attacks against migrants.

In a post on X, Musk made clear he would not tolerate what he views as the deliberate distortion of his statements.

The case is tied to the riots in Belfast, where hundreds of people caused widespread destruction following a knife attack by a migrant of Sudanese origin. Online activists, including Tommy Robinson, called for demonstrations in response, and Musk reshared related content, commenting that only repeated and loud protests can bring about change.

The Disputed ZDF Broadcast

During an episode of ZDFheute live, the anchor stated in his opening remarks that a racist mob went on a hunt for people, something that had been called for by a British far-right extremist and tech billionaire Elon Musk.

The segment was flagged by German journalist Julian Reichelt, who shared it on X, triggering an immediate and furious response from the billionaire.

ZDF’s Partial Retreat and the Legal Battle Ahead

ZDF appeared to partly back down, sending a response that Reichelt made public. The network acknowledged what it called an unfortunate choice of words, admitting that the phrasing had been inaccurate and misleading. It clarified that it was Robinson who had called for protests, while Musk had only shared that call. However, Musk’s legal team is now pressing ahead, indicating the matter will be decided in court.