Cards Against Humanity Settles Trespassing Case Against SpaceX

SpaceX has settled a trespassing lawsuit filed by the makers of the satirical card game Cards Against Humanity. The case, which involved land near SpaceX’s Starbase rocket launch site in South Texas, was dismissed last month.

In an email to supporters on Monday, Cards Against Humanity said SpaceX “admitted on the record” to dumping trash on land the company had purchased along Rio Grande to block construction of the U.S.–Mexico border wall, reported Texas Public Radio. 

“Soon, the land will be returned to its natural state: no space garbage, and still completely free of pointless [expletive] border walls,” the company wrote in the email.

The land, bought with fan donations, is located just minutes from SpaceX’s Starbase facility near Brownsville, Texas. The lawsuit, filed in September 2023, alleged that SpaceX employees entered the site without permission and left behind construction trash. The company sought $15 million in damages, while SpaceX argued that Cards Against Humanity did not have standing to sue.

Maria Ranahan, a spokesperson for Cards Against Humanity, told The Texas Newsroom that a trial would have cost more than the company was likely to recover from SpaceX. “Under Texas law, even if we had won at trial (and we would have, given their admission to trespassing), we likely wouldn’t be able to recoup our legal fees,” she said. “The upside is that we’re able to work with a local landscaping company to restore the land to its natural state.”

Cards Against Humanity also provided background on its website, noting the land had been purchased in 2017 to prevent construction of President Donald Trump’s border wall. The post stated that SpaceX’s founder, Elon Musk, “snuck up on us from behind and completely f****d that land with gravel, tractors, and space garbage.”

The game company said it did not receive any money from SpaceX and had promised to return funds to fans if it had won in court. To commemorate the settlement, Cards Against Humanity announced a special Musk-themed mini expansion pack for its card game.