74-Year-Old Maye Musk Blazes a Trail as a ‘Sports Illustrated’ Swimsuit Cover Model

​The cover star is breaking down age-related barriers — and more than happy to do it. “I’m very excited to let people know that women in their 70s are gorgeous,” Musk says, in a video released by the magazine. “Yes and we’re gorgeous at 50, 60 and 80, too,” says Lois Joy Johnson, AARP’s beauty and style expert and author of three books including The Makeup Wakeup. “Unfortunately, we see too little imaging of mature women outside of promos for Botox, filler and ads for medication. Hopefully, Maye will inspire more brands to expand their outlook.”

​SI’s decision to feature Musk seems to indicate a slowly changing attitude toward beauty and age now being reflected in the pages of the magazine, which featured a then-63-year-old Christie Brinkley back in 2017. “No matter your age, whether you’re a new mom, partner, sister, entertainer, athlete, entrepreneur, advocate, student, mentor, role model, leader or dreamer — or all of the above — we want to celebrate these women, their evolution and the many dimensions of who they are,” MJ Day, the issue’s editor in chief, says in the magazine. 

​It’s a barrier that many people are elated to see breaking down. “This SI cover is highlighting everything that is best about the importance of representation,” says writer, actor and activist Nicky Clark, who spearheaded the Acting Your Age campaign to fight ageism in Hollywood. “Beauty isn’t simply about being young or about mandated perceptions of perfection but exists just as vibrantly in women of all ages, if we care to notice.”  

​The choice isn’t making waves just among those 50-plus. “My whole life, I’ve seen my mom do everything. As a result I think I’ll always expect her to be able to do everything,” Musk’s daughter, Tosca, writes in an essay to accompany her mother’s photo shoot. “Sometimes I wonder whether it’s time I start limiting those expectations, as she gets older. But then I look at her again, still unstoppable, and I think, Not yet.”

​The new issue is out on stands May 19.