Signs Elon Musk And Talulah Riley's Marriage Wouldn't Last
Many know Elon Musk for his automobile company Tesla or maybe even his bizarre takeover of the social media platform Twitter. But as much as Musk is known for his businesses, he's also known for his complex love life. From dating Amber Heard to having a complicated relationship with pop singer Grimes, his romances have been anything but easy. One of Musk's most wild relationships, however, was with his ex-wife, Talulah Riley.
Riley, a British actor, and Musk began dating shortly after his first marriage fell apart in 2008. The "Pride and Prejudice" star recalled to Business Insider what her first impression was of the business mogul. She said, "I remember thinking that this guy probably didn't get to talk to young actresses a lot and that he seemed quite nervous. I decided to be really nice to him and give him a nice evening. Little did I know that he'd spoken to a lot of pretty girls in his life." Musk charmed his way into Riley's heart, and by 2010 they had tied the knot.
While both Musk and Riley probably thought each other would be their forever love, unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. In 2016, the couple officially divorced. And although the news of their separation may have been shocking to some, there were few signs that Musk and Riley's marriage wouldn't last.
Elon Musk and Talulah Riley had a significant age gap
Having a significant age gap is nothing new for a lot of Hollywood couples, and sometimes the relationships work, and other times they don't. Elon Musk's relationship history proves he clearly has a type — younger women. Musk's first known relationship was with his college sweetheart, Jennifer Gwynne, and she started the trend of him dating younger women as the businessman was four years older than Gwynne. When Musk married his first wife, Justine, in 1999, she too was younger than him by two years. These age gaps aren't too bad considering other celebrity couples, but when Musk married his second wife, Talulah Riley, that age gap jumped drastically.
Riley was 22 years old when she met 37-year-old Musk. The businessman went from having a couple of years to having a 15-year age gap! But for Riley, she has never been one to care about age, calling it "an only child thing," according to the Daily Mail. Still, being 15 years younger than your significant other can be a struggle when it comes to finding common ground and can put a strain between you and your partner. Riley and Musk's age gap could have been the first sign this marriage was bound to come to an end.
Elon Musk and Talulah Riley got married twice
When two marriages crumble with the same person, that's a sign from the universe that it's not meant to be. A couple rarely gets married twice, but it's never impossible, and Elon Musk and Talulah Riley proved this. According to Evening Standard, the couple tied the knot in 2010, shortly after his first marriage fell apart. The first ceremony was incredibly beautiful and truly a dream come true for Riley. She couldn't stop raving about it as she shared with the outlet, "I had a full-on princess dress from Vera Wang. It was the best 48 hours of our lives." Musk and Riley were excited about their future, but they had a bit of a blip in their love story.
In 2012 the couple got divorced, but it didn't last long. Riley and Musk were drawn to one another and reconnected in 2013. Just a year after they divorced, the couple walked down the aisle once again. Like a case of deja vu, people were shocked to see Musk and Riley reconnect. But as we know, their relationship wouldn't last, and getting married not once but twice seems like a telltale that it would eventually come to an end.
Three divorces loomed over Elon Musk and Talulah Riley
The idea of divorce being thrown around in a relationship is never a good sign for the couple, especially when it happens three times, as in Elon Musk and Talulah Riley's case. The first time divorce was in the cards for the couple was two years after they walked down the aisle. In 2012, the pair decided to call it quits as Musk revealed the two had grown apart. He told Forbes, "We took some time apart for several months to see if absence makes the heart grow fonder, and unfortunately, it did not." The businessman was vocal about the split and shared the news on social media. He wrote, "It was an amazing four years. I will love you forever. You will make someone very happy one day." But who would have known that the person who would make Riley happy would be Musk?
The couple got back together in 2013, a year after they divorced for the first time. However, their marriage fell apart as quickly as it came. The Tesla CEO attempted to file for divorce in 2014, a year after their second marriage. However, he dropped the filing a few months later. While some may have thought the third time would be the charm for Riley and Musk, it was shattered after the British actor filed for divorce in 2016. This was the official end of their whirlwind romance with one another.
Talulah Riley's dad was not a fan of Elon Musk
Talulah Riley is daddy's little girl, and there was no getting through to him when it came to her relationship with Elon Musk. When the British actor revealed to her dad that she had met the businessman and was smitten, he immediately rejected the idea. She told the Evening Standard, "I said, 'Daddy, I've met this amazing man who makes rockets.'" Of course, curious as to who this man was, Riley's dad asked for his name so he could find out who the man was that stole his daughter's heart. Well, Google gave Riley's dad some answers on Musk, but it wasn't the ones he was looking for. Around the time he met Riley, Musk was six weeks into his divorce filing. Not just that, but the Tesla CEO already had five children with his first wife, Justine, which can make for a complex relationship.
Musk's past concerned Riley's dad and encouraged her to call it off with him. According to the Evening Standard, he told the "Pride & Prejudice" actor, "'You've been picked up by a playboy. Text that man you're not going for dinner with him and he's a bastard.'" Obviously, Riley didn't listen and married Musk, and we can only imagine that Riley's dad was not happy. Well — with how it ended between the two, maybe her dad was right?
Elon Musk and Talulah Riley's got engaged quick
Everything about Elon Musk and Talulah Riley's relationship was fast, but their engagement was especially quick. According to the Daily Mail, the businessman proposed to the actor ten days after they met. The "Westworld" actor described how it happened on BBC and revealed she flew out to L.A. just days after meeting Musk. The two had a wonderful time together, and the Tesla CEO didn't want it to end. Riley shared, "And then he said, 'I don't want you to go home and I want to marry you." The engagement was impromptu, as Musk didn't even have an engagement ring.
While many of us would recognize this red flag, Riley found it romantic as her parents had a similar story. She shared with BBC, "My father told my mother at the end of their first date that he was going to marry her. And so I think I was primed to think that after 10 days, you know. I thought yep, that's how it happens."
Musk was serious about her decision and eventually bought Riley not one but three engagements. But the rings might as well have represented the times the couple got divorced or almost divorced because their relationship seemed too fast as it came to an end years later.
Talulah Riley only had one boyfriend before Elon Musk
It's hard to know what true love is if you have never really experienced it, and when Talulah Riley met Elon Musk in 2008, she didn't really have that experience. The actor revealed to the Evening Standard that she had only one boyfriend before she married the Tesla CEO, who was "lovely" to her. However, only experiencing one relationship before jumping into a marriage — especially as fast as Riley did — appeared to be a clear sign that their relationship wouldn't last.
When they split the first time, Musk shared that he wouldn't get married that fast ever again. He told Forbes, "Essentially I'd want to be super sure before getting married again, but I certainly would love to be in a relationship. For sure." Obviously, he married Riley for a second time before they divorced in 2016. But it seems that now the businessman has learned his lesson. Although he has had several relationships and even welcomed more kids, Musk has not been married since his split from Riley in 2016. As for the actor, she got engaged in July 2023, and her ex-husband even wished her congratulations, according to Page Six. So, despite all the signs that seemed to point to their inevitable split, Musk, and Riley still seem to be good friends.