Elon Musk and Grimes had a highly publicized, on-and-off relationship that spanned several years before they ultimately split for good.
Their romance, filled with passion, intellectual connection, and challenges, resulted in three children and numerous headlines.
A Love Story That Started on Twitter
Elon Musk and Canadian musician Grimes (real name Claire Boucher) first connected on Twitter (now X) in April 2018.
The billionaire tech mogul was drawn to Grimes’ intelligence and unique humor after she made a nerdy joke about artificial intelligence and Rococo Basilisk—a concept related to AI ethics.
Impressed that someone else understood the joke, Musk reached out to her. This interaction sparked their relationship, and soon after, the two were spotted together in public.
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Their first official appearance as a couple took place at the 2018 Met Gala, where they walked the red carpet together, confirming their romance.
Years of On-and-Off Dating
Over the next few years, Musk and Grimes’ relationship was a rollercoaster of public declarations of love, creative collaborations, and periods of separation.
Despite their differences—Musk being a billionaire entrepreneur focused on space exploration and electric vehicles, and Grimes being an experimental musician—they shared a deep bond, often discussing futuristic ideas and technology.
The couple welcomed their first child, a son named X Æ A-Xii, on May 4, 2020. His name, which confused many at first, had a special meaning tied to mathematics, AI, and aircraft.
Why Did Elon Musk and Grimes Break Up?
The first major split happened in September 2021, after three years of dating. Musk confirmed their “semi-separation” in an interview, explaining that his work at SpaceX and Tesla required him to be in Texas or traveling internationally, while Grimes’ career was based primarily in Los Angeles.
“We are semi-separated but still love each other, see each other frequently, and are on great terms,” Musk stated at the time.
Despite their breakup, the two continued to maintain a close relationship, with Grimes later calling their romance “fluid” and saying she still considered Musk her “boyfriend” in an interview in March 2022.
However, just as the article was published, Grimes took to Twitter to clarify that they had broken up again, indicating their relationship had finally ended for good.
Children and Co-Parenting After the Breakup
Despite their breakup, Musk and Grimes continued to expand their family. They welcomed two more children:
- Exa Dark Sideræl (“Y”), born in December 2021 via surrogate
- Techno Mechanicus (“Tau”), born in 2022 but not publicly revealed until later
Grimes has expressed a desire to keep their children out of the public eye, stating,
“I wish I could show you how cute little Techno is, but my priority is keeping my babies private.”
Grimes’ Criticism and Social Media Spats
Although Musk and Grimes have remained on good terms overall, their relationship hasn’t been without its tensions.
Following their initial breakup, Grimes referred to Musk as “immature” and made subtle jabs at him on social media.
Additionally, in 2023, reports surfaced that Musk had quietly filed for custody of their children without Grimes’ knowledge.
She publicly responded by asking Musk to allow her to see their son, suggesting a potential conflict over their co-parenting arrangement.
Despite these tensions, they have continued to interact positively online. In early 2024, Grimes shared a clip from a video game she was featured in, and Musk responded, “Cool concept for an IRL performance,” to which she agreed.
Musk’s Other Relationships and Expanding Family
Musk has had multiple high-profile relationships and has fathered a total of 12 children with different partners. Before dating Grimes, he was married to author Justine Wilson, with whom he had five children.
He also had a highly publicized on-again, off-again relationship with actress Amber Heard before moving on to Grimes.
Also Read: Grimes Debuts New Romance With DJ Anyma After Elon Musk Breakup
In addition to his children with Grimes, Musk also had twins and a third child with Shivon Zilis, an executive at his company Neuralink, making him a father of at least 12 kids.
Where Do They Stand Now?
While their romantic relationship has ended, Musk and Grimes appear to maintain a respectful friendship, at least in public.
Despite past disagreements and custody issues, they continue to share a mutual interest in futuristic technology, music, and co-parenting their children.
Although their love story was unconventional and at times tumultuous, it remains one of the most fascinating celebrity relationships of the 21st century.
