Elon Musk has again rejected allegations linking him to an alleged 2016 affair involving Amber Heard and Cara Delevingne, pushing back on claims that resurfaced during the high-profile defamation trial between Heard and Johnny Depp in Virginia. The accusations, which circulated widely during the 2022 court proceedings, have never been substantiated in court filings or rulings.
The controversy traces back to deposition testimony introduced during the Depp v. Heard trial, a case that drew global attention after Heard's 2018 Washington Post opinion essay became the basis for a defamation lawsuit. A jury ultimately awarded Depp $15 million in damages, while Heard secured $2 million in her countersuit, cementing the trial as one of the most closely watched legal battles in recent entertainment history.
Musk's connection to the dispute emerged through his past relationship with Heard, which began shortly after her separation from Depp. The Tesla and SpaceX chief became a peripheral figure in the proceedings as lawyers and commentators examined timelines and personal associations tied to Heard's private life.
The most explicit allegation appeared in testimony from Josh Drew, the former husband of Heard's friend Raquel Pennington. Drew claimed that "Amber Heard was having an affair with Cara Delevingne while she was still married to Johnny Depp," alleging the encounter occurred at a Los Angeles penthouse in 2016. The claim circulated widely online, fueling speculation that Musk had also been involved.
Musk has consistently denied that suggestion. In remarks to Page Six, he stated, "Cara and I are friends, but we've never been intimate. She would confirm this." He further clarified the timeline of his relationship with Heard, saying, "I wish to confirm again that Amber and I only started going out about a month after her divorce filing," and adding, "I don't think I was ever even in the vicinity of Amber during their marriage!"
A spokesperson for Musk reinforced that account, stating, "Elon and Amber didn't start seeing each other until May 2016, and even then it was infrequent," and noting that "Their relationship didn't become romantic until some time later." Neither Heard nor Delevingne has publicly expanded on the specific allegations, and no independent verification has emerged regarding the claims described in the deposition.
As the Depp-Heard trial unfolded, Musk also struck a conciliatory tone about the broader dispute. "I would recommend that everyone involved bury the hatchet and move on," he said in the same Page Six interview, adding, "Life is too short for such extended negativity. Nobody is going to say, after it's all over, that they wished the court battle had lasted longer!"
The case itself extended beyond the courtroom into a sustained public spectacle, amplified by livestream coverage and social media commentary. While the legal verdict addressed specific defamatory statements, much of the surrounding narrative-including personal allegations involving third parties-remained outside the court's findings.
In the years since the trial, Musk has largely avoided revisiting the controversy in formal settings, while Heard and Depp have pursued separate paths in their careers. Yet the persistence of the allegations underscores how high-profile legal disputes can blur the line between verified evidence and widely circulated claims.
