Topline
Primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall was sharply critical of billionaire Elon Musk, President Donald Trump, and several other world leaders in her last major interview, released on Netflix just days after her death, where she acknowledges that the world is facing “dark” times but urges people not to lose hope.
Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder, The Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace attends the 2025 Forbes Sustainability Summit.
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Key Facts
Goodall’s interview was the first episode of Netflix’s new “Famous Last Words” series, which will feature interviews with famous public figures intended for release after their deaths.
During the interview, which primarily focuses on Goodall’s life studying and working with chimpanzees, the conservationist is asked about the people she doesn’t like.
“I would like to put them on one of Musk’s spaceships and send them all off to the planet he’s sure he’s going to discover,” she tells the host Brad Falchuk.
When asked if the world’s richest person would be one of the people she dislikes, “Oh, absolutely, he’d be the list…and you can imagine who I’d put on that spaceship.”
“Along with Musk, would be Trump, and some of Trump’s real supporters,” she said, before also noting the names of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Goodall added she would “certainly put Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “in there and his far-right government…Put them all on that spaceship and send them off.”
What Else Did Goodall Say?
After the interview concludes, Goodall addresses the camera directly with a message she wants to leave for the world. “I want you to understand that we are part of the natural world. And even today, when the planet is dark, there still is hope. Don’t lose hope. If you lose hope, you become apathetic and do nothing…You have it in your power to make a difference. Don’t give up. There is a future for you. Do your best while you’re still on this beautiful Planet Earth that I look down upon from where I am now.”
What Had Goodall Said About Trump Before?
Ahead of the 2016 presidential election, Goodall told The Atlantic: “In many ways, the performances of Donald Trump remind me of male chimpanzees and their dominance rituals…In order to impress rivals, males seeking to rise in the dominance hierarchy perform spectacular displays: stamping, slapping the ground, dragging branches, throwing rocks. The more vigorous and imaginative the display, the faster the individual is likely to rise in the hierarchy, and the longer he is likely to maintain that position.” She reiterated this comparison again in a 2022 MSNBC interview, saying Trump was exhibiting “the same sort of behavior as a male chimpanzee will show when he’s competing for dominance… they project themselves as really more large and aggressive than they may actually be in order to intimidate their rivals.” Goodall had also criticized Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord saying the move was “immensely depressing.”
Tangent
Netflix’s airing of Goodall’s last major interview comes at a time when the streaming platform has been attacked by Musk and several other right-wing influencers on the billionaire’s social media platform X. Musk has boosted comments criticising Hamish Steele, director of a canceled Netflix animated series which featured a trans protagonist. Musk boosted posts that target “Dead End: Paranormal Park”—which was canceled by Netflix after airing two seasons back in 2022—claiming that it pushes a “transgender woke agenda.” The show’s creator has also faced right-wing anger over his comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death. Musk’s attacks caused Netflix’s share price to drop around 4.19% to $1,153.32 last week.
Further Reading
Jane Goodall Institute Says Legendary Ethologist Is Dead At 91 (Forbes)
Musk Doubles Down On ‘Cancel Netflix’ Calls Over Trans Character And Director’s Charlie Kirk Post (Forbes)