Teen breaks silence and responds to Elon Musk's 'creepy' comments after she faced being deported
A teenager who was facing deportation from Denmark has responded to Elon Musk's comment about her situation.
Morris, 19, is originally from Los Angeles; however, she has lived in Denmark since the age of nine after her family relocated to the Scandinavian country in 2015 so her mother could obtain her PhD.
It was reported that the Danish government had decided not to extend her residence permit because she wasn't living with her mother in Aarhus while attending high school in the neighbouring city of Viborg, which violated the rules of her temporary residency, as it required her to have the same address as her mother.
The Daily Beast reports that Morris had been denied citizenship, though her mother and brother had it.
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The 19-year-old's story soon went viral on social media, with a post on X detailing the situation, to which Musk responded.
The Tesla CEO publicly replied to a now-deleted post: "8 or above level hotness should get an exemption," with a crying laughing emoji, which suggests he was joking.
However, some were a bit weirded out by it, and now, Morris herself has commented on the situation, telling The Daily Beast that while it is 'definitely crazy', she 'wasn't surprised' by it.
"I guess you could say, because from the beginning, the second that my case was kind of made public, it has been about appearances and because, ‘oh, she’s blonde and she’s white!’ And so the thing he said in of itself wasn’t shocking to me, but coming from him, yes, it was definitely...I was floored,” she said. “It would’ve been really cool if he commented something like, ‘Oh wow, look how many academic things she’s reached,’ or whatever.
"That would’ve been great. It could have been so helpful.”
While others called Musk's comment 'creepy' and 'crazy', Morris added: “[But] if this just at least brings it to the attention of anyone who cares, then I’m fine with being embarrassed a little bit. That’s okay.”
Musk has not addressed the response to his tweet.
Though her permanent residency was later sorted out, the thought of deportation was a real fear for Morris, who made a plan to return to the US if she needed to.
Morris told the Danish outlet, Stiften: “I have my grandparents and some friends in the USA. But Denmark is my home. One hundred per cent. I am as Danish as a foreigner can possibly be."
She also told Newsweek that she wasn't happy that the response to her case was hingent entirely on her appearance, adding: "My wish is for moral integrity and academic achievements never to be overshadowed by appearances because my faith teaches me that our true worth comes from God, not from how we look, but from our character, humility, and the values we live by."
She said that the 'support and kindness' she had received was 'deeply touching and appreciated'.
"It is important now more than ever for society to recognize deeper measures of worth. I wish the focus on immigration could remain a matter of substance and integrity, which I believe the Lord calls us to honor above all else."
"I feel a strong responsibility to use the voice I have been given to encourage a faith-based community for my generation."
Jen Thomas