The complex love life of Elon Musk has become just as much a point of interest as his business interests, with the controversial tech billionaire reported to be the father of 13 children, born to four different women. And although plenty remains unknown as to what really goes on in Musk's various romances, he has previously shed some light on his relationship with Aquaman actress Amber Heard, 38, who he first connected with after seeing her in the 2013 action thriller, Machete Kills.
In 2016, Musk and Amber struck up a friendship at the Met Gala, after Amber's then husband Johnny Depp apparently stood her up. As she would later recall during her high profile defamation trial: "I was standing in line, right in front of a gentleman. It was Elon. I didn't recognize him until we started talking. He has reminded me that we had met once before when he was with his mother.".
Nothing happened between the pair until 2017 however, by which time Amber filed for divorce from Johnny in what would prove to be a rocky legal disentanglement. Futher details emerged in Walter Isaacson's 2023 authorised biography of Musk, titled Elon Musk, which delves into the SpaceX CEO's year-long on-off romance with Amber.
Not mincing his words, Musk described his relationship with Amber as "brutal" in the book. In the early days, the busy pair had to make their budding relationship fit around their hectic work schedules. Amber flew out to the Tesla factory in California to surprise Musk on his birthday, while Musk made sure to fly over to Australia to join her on the set of Aquaman.
Both shared an affinity for nerd culture, with Amber even spending "two months designing and commissioning a head-to-toe costume so she could role-play" for Musk, after learning she reminded him of Mercy from Overwatch, a favorite video game character of his who has the power to heal and resurrect. Opening up about her geeky side with Isaacson, Amber jokily admitted: "I guess I could be called a geek for someone who can also be called a hot chick.".
There were however a few ups and downs, and those close to Musk harboured doubts about the couple, with Musk's brother Kimbal claiming that Amber was "toxic" and "a nightmare". Meanwhile, Musk, 53, said: "I'm just a fool for love. I am often a fool, but especially for love.".
The book also details a heated argument between Musk and Amber during a visit to his family home in South Africa, one of a number of reportedly fiery rows. Although they appeared to have plenty in common, reality ultimately got in the way, and less than a year into their relationship however, the pair's packed calendars meant they ended up parting ways. In the book, Elon claims he endured "18 months of unrelenting insanity" that was "mind-bogglingly painful.".
However, it would appear that any drama is now water under the bridge, with the pair having nothing but good things to say about each other in the years since. In the biography, Amber shared: "I love him very much. Elon loves fire, and sometimes it burns him.".
Meanwhile, at the time of the split, Musk took to Instagram, telling followers: "Although Amber and I did break up, we are still friends, remain close and love one another. Long distance relationships when both partners have intense work obligations are always difficult, but who knows what the future holds.".
In her own public break-up announcement, Amber shared that she was experiencing "difficult, very human times", emphasising that she and Musk "care deeply for one another and remain close". Getting candid with followers, she wrote: "Being in the public eye means having to explain yourself to so many people, so much of the time. In this case, I'd like to remain more quiet.".
In 2019, things got complicated after Amber's actor ex Johnny accused her of cheating on him with Elon, alleging that the pair had begun their relationship in March 2016 - just one month after his and Amber's wedding day. The following year, in 2020, it was also alleged in legal depositions that Musk had had a threesome with Amber and model Cara Delevingne.
Musk has denied both these accusations, telling Page Six: "Cara and I are friends, but we've never been intimate. She would confirm this. Also, I wish to confirm again that Amber and I only started going out about a month after her divorce filing. I don't think I was ever even in the vicinity of Amber during their marriage!".
