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Grimes' Reading Material Causes Stir Following Elon Musk Breakup: 'I'm Not a Communist' The musician, whose real name is Claire Boucher, was spotted reading Karl Marx's anti-capitalist 'Communist Manifesto' but claims the whole thing was a tabloid troll.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

That's one way to send a not-so-subtle break up message.

Elon Musk and musician Grimes made headlines last week after Musk confirmed to Page Six that the couple had "semi-separated" (whatever that means) and that the pair remains "on great terms." But it looks like things may not be so amicable after all following "candid" paparazzi photos that surfaced of Grimes this weekend following the split.

The musician, whose real name is Claire Boucher, was spotted reading Karl Marx's anti-capitalist Communist Manifesto, which could be perceived as a rebuke to Musk, a self-made billionaire as CEO and founder of Tesla and SpaceX. As of Monday morning, he was the second-richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of $204.6 billion.

In the photos, Grimes can be seen in a hooded cape and military-inspired body suit, almost as if she's embracing the Halloween-season spirit in costume (though unusual, futuristic-themed clothing choices are not uncommon for her). She's captured while sitting front of a fence looking deep in thought and flipping through the book before taking a stroll around L.A. while continuing to peruse its pages.

Related: Grimes Shares Rare Video of Her and Elon Musk's Son

The photos quickly went viral on social media before the singer decided to post them to her own Instagram account in an attempt to offer a little clarity.

"I was really stressed when paparazzi wouldn't stop following me this wk but then I realized it was opportunity to troll," she wrote in the caption, claiming that she purposely staged the photos in an attempt to hit back at paparazzi and cause a little commotion. She also revealed that she is still living with Musk and that she is "not a communist."

"Personally I'm more interested in a radical decentralized ubi that I think could potentially be achieved thru crypto and gaming but I haven't ironed that idea out enough yet to explain it," the singer elaborated.

Musk has not yet made any public comment on the photos.

Grimes and Musk were together for three years, making their first public debut as a couple in 2018 at the Met Gala.

They share a 1-year-old son, X Æ A-Xii, which is pronounced phonetically as the letters "X, A, I."

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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