The world of entertainment was shaken on May 4, 2025, when a heated exchange of jokes between the legend of Hollywood Robert De Niro and the tycoon of Elon Musk technology has resulted in a public feud, leaving incredulous fan and audience. The drama took place during the live recording of a popular talk show, where Musk, known for his comments without filters, launched a hard arrow to De Niro, defining his latest “completely stupid” interpretation. The observation, pronounced with a smile, was accepted by an immediate and fiery response of nine words by De Niro, who triggered a storm of controversy. The accident, filmed on video and shared on X with the hashtag #denirovsmusk, became viral, obtaining millions of views and triggering a heated debate.
Musk, CEO of Tesla and Spacex, appeared as a guest to discuss his latest initiatives, when the conversation took an unexpected turn. Referring to the recent role of De Niro in an action film struck down by critics, Musk made ironized: “I saw better recitations from my Tesla robots: absolutely stupid”. The audience in the studio remained silent, uncertain about how to react, while the camera moved to De Niro, also a guest to promote a new project. Without losing a blow, the 81 -year -old Oscar winner fell forward and replied: “You are a clown without a soul, Elon”. The nine words, pronounced with the typical intensity of De Niro, have stunned the conductor and the public, transforming the carefree segment into a rendering of the tense accounts.
The discussion quickly intensified when Musk, imperturbable, replied with a laugh: “At least my cars do not crash like your career”. De Niro, visibly irritated, got up and left the stage, leaving the conductor to fight to resume control. The video, which lasted just over a minute, then exploded online, with the fans of X divided between the admiration for the audacity of De Niro and the criticisms of Musk’s provocation. “De Niro has silenced him: legendary!” He wrote a supporter, while another wrote: “Musk’s arrow was tough, but De Niro’s exit from the scene was a dramatic exaggeration”.
The feud dates back to a series of thin arrows between the two, with Musk who occasionally made fun of the Hollywood elites on social media and De Niro expressed skepticism on the influence of the billionaires of technology. This accident, however, marks their first public clash. Sources close to De Niro suggest that he felt personally insulted, given his career and ten -year reputation, while Musk’s team claims that the comment was understood as humor. The manufacturers of the talk show released a declaration in which they apologized for “the unexpected escalation”, but the damage was done.
On X, the reactions went from fun to indignation. “Elon’s joke about Tesla’s robots was fierce: De Niro was looking for it,” said a Musk fan, while a loyal to De Niro replied: “Nine words of truth, Musk had what he deserved”. Faida also attracted attention to the wider tensions between Hollywood and Silicon Valley, with some who see it as a clash of cultures. Analysts provide that the bickering could feed further public quarrels, especially with the growing influence of Musk and De Niro’s stay as a prominent figure in the world of entertainment.
For now, the astonished silence of the study has turned into a global conversation. De Niro has not yet released further statements, while Musk has published a cryptic tweet: “The clowns cannot build rockets: next topic”. The accident left the fans anxious to see the next chapter, with many who wonder if the question will turn into a real rivalry or will be exhausted. One thing is certain: De Niro’s nine words have turned on a fuse that is anything but off.
