But no amount of PR spin could keep the story from snowballing. Musk’s legions of devoted fans took to social media to trash the network, accusing ABC of squandering the chance to work with a modern-day genius. Some even called for a boycott of the network, launching the hashtag #BanABC, which quickly trended on X (formerly Twitter).

Meanwhile, Musk’s critics delighted in his latest meltdown. “Of course Musk couldn’t handle it,” one detractor tweeted. “The guy’s ego is bigger than SpaceX’s rocket boosters. He probably wanted to film the whole thing on Mars next week.”