Elon Musk has claimed that branding a British diver "pedo guy" did not mean he was making accusations "of engaging in acts of paedophilia".
The Tesla boss is being sued after after he tweeted about Vernon Unsworth, one of the cave divers who helped with the rescue attempts of the Tham Luang Nang Non children last year.
Mr Musk said in a court filing in America today: “'Pedo guy' was a common insult used in South Africa when I was growing up.
"It is synonymous with 'creepy old man' and is used to insult a person's appearance and demeanour.
"I did not intend to accuse Mr. Unsworth of engaging in acts of paedophilia.
"In response to his insults in the CNN interview, I meant to insult him back by expressing my opinion that he seemed like a creepy old man."
Mr Unsworth criticised the SpaceX boss in a television interview.
The diver, who was one of the first to the scene of the trapped children, said that Mr Musk’s offer of a submarine was a "PR stunt" and that he could "stick his submarine were it hurts".
In a related court filing, Mr Musk's lawyers called Mr Unsworth a public figure on matters related to the cave rescue.
They said this required Unsworth to show by clear and convincing evidence that Musk made his statements towards him with "actual malice," a high standard.
Mr Unsworth is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, with a trial scheduled for December.
Additional reporting by agencies.
