https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49724251Mr Musk responded on Twitter by calling him "pedo guy". He later deleted the tweets and apologised after huge outrage.
Mr Unsworth filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr Musk in Los Angeles.
In court filings on Monday, Mr Musk said: "It is synonymous with 'creepy old man' and is used to insult a person's appearance and demeanor, not accuse a person of acts of pedophilia."
"I did not intend to accuse Mr Unsworth of engaging in acts of pedophilia," he added. "In response to his insults in the CNN interview, I meant to insult him back by expressing my opinion that he seemed like a creepy old man."
Mr Musk also said in his court filings that his aide hired a private investigator who "reported that Mr Unsworth associated with Europeans who engage in improper sexual conduct in Thailand".
Mr Unsworth, who lives partly in Thailand with his 41-year-old partner, has denied all accusations of wrongdoing.
What does our local South African linguist think?