Amber Heard and Elon Musk: Relationship Timeline and History

Amber Heard and Elon Musk dated on and off between 2016 and 2018. Their relationship began shortly after Heard filed for divorce from actor Johnny Depp, though the exact timeline of when their friendship turned romantic became a major point of contention during the 2022 Depp v. Heard defamation trial.

Today, the two are no longer together. Following their final breakup in early 2018, both moved on to other highly publicized relationships and career shifts. However, details of their time together resurfaced in late 2023 following the publication of Walter Isaacson’s biography of the SpaceX and Tesla CEO.

Quick Facts: Heard and Musk

irst Met: 2013, on the set of Machete Kills
Began Dating: Summer 2016 (Disputed by Johnny Depp, who claimed the relationship started earlier)
Made Relationship Public: April 2017
First Split: August 2017
Final Split: Early 2018
Current Status: Separated

How Amber Heard and Elon Musk Met

The pair first crossed paths in 2013 on the set of Robert Rodriguez’s action film Machete Kills. Heard played a beauty pageant contestant named Miss San Antonio, while Musk made a brief cameo appearance as himself.

According to reports from the time, Musk was immediately interested in Heard. Though she was dating Johnny Depp at the time and Musk was married to British actress Talulah Riley, the tech billionaire reportedly emailed Rodriguez and his team asking to arrange dinners and meetings with Heard. Musk maintained that he merely wanted to meet interesting people and was not looking for a date. The two struck up a platonic friendship that lasted for several years.

The Relationship Timeline (2016–2018)

Summer 2016: Early Rumors

In May 2016, Heard filed for divorce from Johnny Depp and obtained a temporary restraining order against him. Around the same time, Musk was finalizing his second divorce from Riley. By July 2016, paparazzi began spotting Heard and Musk together at luxury hotels in Miami and London. Both camps insisted they were just friends relying on each other during their respective divorces.

April 2017: Instagram Official

The couple confirmed their romance in April 2017. Heard posted a photo on Instagram showing her resting her arm on Musk’s shoulder, with a clear imprint of her red lipstick on his cheek. The photo was taken at a wildlife sanctuary in Australia, where Heard was filming Aquaman. Musk posted a similar photo to his own account, cementing their status as a public couple.

August 2017: The First Breakup

By August 2017, the relationship ended. Musk confirmed the split in an Instagram comment, writing, “Btw, just to clear up some of the press storm this weekend, although Amber and I did break up, we are still friends, remain close and love one another.”

He cited the difficulty of maintaining a long-distance relationship while both had intense work schedules. Musk later told Rolling Stone in a candid interview that he was in “severe emotional pain” following the breakup, adding, “I was really in love, and it hurt bad.”

Late 2017 to Early 2018: Brief Reconciliation and Final Split

The couple was spotted together again in late 2017, spending holidays in Chile and Easter Island, which sparked reconciliation rumors. However, the reunion was short-lived. By February 2018, they permanently ended the relationship. Representatives stated the timing simply wasn’t right for either of them, but they remained on amicable terms.

The Johnny Depp Trial Connection

Years after their breakup, Musk was dragged back into Heard’s public life during her highly publicized legal battles with Johnny Depp.

During the 2020 UK libel trial (where Depp sued The Sun newspaper) and the 2022 US defamation trial (Depp v. Heard), Depp’s legal team accused Heard of having an extramarital affair with Musk while she was still married to the actor. Depp’s lawyers presented security footage of Musk visiting Heard at Depp’s Los Angeles penthouse.

Both Heard and Musk strongly denied the cheating allegations. Musk released a public statement clarifying: “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.”

The ACLU Donations

Musk’s name also surfaced during the 2022 trial regarding Heard’s charitable donations. Upon divorcing Depp, Heard pledged her $7 million divorce settlement to two charities: the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

During the trial, ACLU executives testified that the organization had not received the full pledged amount. It was revealed that Musk had made payments on Heard’s behalf. Terence Dougherty, the ACLU’s chief operating officer, testified that the organization received a $500,000 donation from a Vanguard fund associated with Musk, which was credited toward Heard’s total pledge.

Although Musk was listed on a preliminary witness list for the 2022 trial, his lawyer ultimately confirmed he would not testify. Following the verdict, Musk posted briefly on Twitter (now X), stating, “I hope they both move on. At their best, they are each incredible.”

Revelations from Walter Isaacson’s Biography

In September 2023, journalist Walter Isaacson published a comprehensive biography titled Elon Musk. The book dedicated significant space to Musk’s personal life, offering new, behind-the-scenes details about his time with Heard.

Family Disapproval

According to Isaacson, Musk’s inner circle strongly disliked Heard. Musk’s brother, Kimbal Musk, was quoted describing the relationship as highly volatile. Kimbal openly expressed his distaste for Heard, stating that Musk has a tendency to fall for people who are “beautiful, no question, but they have a very dark side.”

A “Brutal” Romance

In the book, Musk himself reflected on the relationship, describing the 18-month romance as “brutal.” Isaacson characterized the pairing as a chaotic and toxic period in Musk’s life, noting that the billionaire often thrived on drama but suffered emotionally from the frequent arguments. Heard also spoke to Isaacson for the book, maintaining that she still loves Musk “very much” but noting, “Elon loves fire, and sometimes it burns him.”

The Overwatch Cosplay Controversy

One of the most viral stories to emerge from the biography involved a custom costume. Isaacson wrote that while Heard was visiting Musk on a set, Musk mentioned that she resembled Mercy, his favorite character from the video game Overwatch. Heard reportedly spent two months working with designers to create a highly detailed, authentic Mercy cosplay for him.

Shortly after the book’s release, Musk confirmed the anecdote by posting a private photo of Heard wearing the costume to his social media platform, X. Reports soon emerged that Heard had not given Musk permission to publish the private photo, though she did not publicly comment on the incident or take legal action.

Where Are They Now?

Amber Heard and Elon Musk have had no known public contact in recent years.

Following the 2022 defamation trial, Heard sold her home in California and relocated to Europe. As of late 2023, she resides in Madrid, Spain, with her young daughter, Oonagh Paige. She continues to act, appearing in the independent film In the Fire and reprising her role as Mera in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Elon Musk remains deeply involved in his corporate ventures, including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and X. Since his split with Heard, he has had several children with the musician Grimes (Claire Boucher) and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis.

FAQs

Did Amber Heard cheat on Johnny Depp with Elon Musk?

Johnny Depp accused Amber Heard of having an affair with Elon Musk during their marriage. Both Heard and Musk have repeatedly denied these claims, stating they did not begin dating until a month after Heard filed for divorce in May 2016.

Did Elon Musk pay Amber Heard’s ACLU pledge?

Yes, partially. During the 2022 defamation trial, an ACLU executive testified that a $500,000 donation came from a Vanguard fund associated with Elon Musk, which was credited toward Heard’s $3.5 million pledge to the organization.

Are Elon Musk and Amber Heard still friends?

When they broke up in 2018, both stated they remained friends. In a 2023 interview for Walter Isaacson’s biography, Heard stated she still cared for him. However, they do not appear to have an active public relationship today.