Tumultuous, whirlwind, controversial, all common adjectives used to describe the relationship between world’s richest man Elon Musk and Canadian musician Grimes.
Since the pair first got together in 2018, it seems that nobody has a real handle on where they stand as a couple. In October 2023, it was widely reported that Grimes, real name Claire Boucher, had taken legal action in order to secure her paternity rights to the pair’s three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren.
The earliest rumors of their relationship go all the way back to a pre-Covid 19 world in February 2018 when Musk had just split from actress Amber Heard. The South African and Grimes shared some tweets, which set the rumors flying.
The couple had their formal coming out ceremony three months later at that year’s Met gala.
It wasn’t long before we had our first reports of trouble in paradise when it was widely reported that both had unfollowed each other on the application formerly known as Twitter in August 2018.
The same month, outspoken rapper Azealia Banks claimed that she, Grimes and Musk all spent the weekend together at his home where she saw him using acid routinely. A spokesman called those claims ‘absolute nonsense.’
The representative went a step further saying: ‘Elon doesn’t know Azealia Banks.’ Banks then posted screenshots of text messages that she alleged came from Grimes that read ‘[Musk] has a fake made-up accent’ in addition to a ‘giant d**k.’
By the fall, Grimes was seen Musk at a pumpkin patch in Los Angeles with his five 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren from his first marriage to author Justine Wilson. At that point, they refollowed each other on social media.
At some point, the star-crossed lovers parted ways again.
Grimes and Elon Musk attend the 2018 Met Gala together
In 2018, outspoken rapper Azealia Banks claimed that she, Grimes and Musk all spent the weekend together at his home where she saw him using acid routinely
In January 2019, Grimes told her followers that she was in Shanghai at the same time that he was launching a new Tesla factory in the city.
We wouldn’t see them out in public together until December 2019 when they were pictured with Kimye and Travis Scott at the Kardashian-Jenner Christmas party in Calabasas.
Earlier that month, Musk gave his paramour a standing ovation as she performed at the Game Awards, reported Business Insider.
Clearly there was unfinished business between them as in January 2020, Grimes proudly showed off a 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 bump in an Instagram photo. In a subsequent interview with Rolling Stone, Grimes confirmed that Musk was the father of her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥.
During the same piece, Grimes spoke about her track, So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth, being about her pregnancy.
‘The sort of tragedy of agreeing to it, even though it’s this great thing. For a girl, it’s sacrificing your body and your freedom. It’s a pretty crazy sacrifice and only half of the population has to do it. It was really profound to me when I decided I was going to do it, to actually go through the act of unprotected 𝓈ℯ𝓍,’ she told the magazine.
‘I do actually just really love my boyfriend,’ Grimes continued while adding that her reaction to getting pregnant was : ‘You know, sure.’
In May, the world said hello to the improbably named X Æ A-12 Musk, who was later rechristened X thanks to California laws
The same month a source told Us Weekly that following the 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 of X, shown here, they had ‘experienced a lot of ups and downs’ and were ‘on and off’
In May, the world said hello to the improbably named X Æ A-12 Musk, who was later rechristened X thanks to California laws. Musk posted a photo from the hospital showing him holding X with the caption: ‘Mom & 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 all good.’
The same month a source told Us Weekly that following the 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 of X, they had ‘experienced a lot of ups and downs’ and were ‘on and off.’
Musk told The New York Times in a July 2020 interview that X’s mother was more involved in his parenting. ‘When the kid gets older, there will be more of a role for me,’ he said.
Grimes wrote to Musk the same month: ‘I love you but please turn off ur phone or give me a [call]. I cannot support hate. Please stop this. I know this isn’t you heart.’ That was in response to his infamous ‘Pronouns suck’ message.
A little under a year later, Grimes showed up in a sketch during Musk’s infamous hosting turn on Saturday Night Live on May 8, 2021.
Grimes wrote in an Instagram post that she was hospitalized thanks to a panic attack he suffered just before the performance. The Canadian made the reference in an Instagram post showing her with that night’s musical guest Miley Cyrus.
She also said that she was ‘so proud’ of Musk who she called ‘beautiful’ and added ‘he 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed it.’
Nothing lasts forever. By September, Musk told the New York Post that the couple was ‘semi-separated’ but said that they were on ‘great terms.’
Grimes showed up in a sketch during Musk’s infamous hosting turn on Saturday Night Live on May 8, 2021
Before 2021 was finished, the couple had a second 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥, via surrogate, and named Exa Dark Sideral. The parents call her Y
Grimes Instagram promoting her new single ‘I Wanna Be Software’ and showing new tattoo in 2023
Grimes took that opportunity to unleash a new song, Love, that was in response to their break-up.
It includes the lyrics: ‘It f*****g sucks to be awake, Oh Lord, I pray the lord my soul to take… Nobody understands because everything they hate is everything I love.’
The Tesla-founder said that because of his work schedule, their relationship was no longer feasible but then also said that they were sharing a home along with their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥.
Grimes said similar on Instagram a month later, revealing that she was living with Musk and mocking a New York Post story that reported on her reading the Communist Manifesto, supposedly in the wake of the X owner leaving her.
Before 2021 was finished, the couple had a second 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥, via surrogate, and named Exa Dark Sideral. The parents call her Y.
Grimes also managed to get another song out of the relation, titled Prayer of Games, which was release the same month. ‘I’m in love with the greatest gamer, But he’ll always love the game more than he loves me,’ it read in one section.
Amid the joy of being parents again, Grimes told Vanity Fair in March 2022 that they were a couple again but described their courtship as ‘very fluid.’
‘There’s no real word for it. I would probably refer to him as my boyfriend, but we’re very fluid. We live in separate houses. We’re best friends. We see each other all the time… We just have our own thing going on, and I don’t expect other people to understand it.’
‘This is the best it’s ever been. We just need to be free,’ Grimes told the magazine.
Despite those loving words, by the time Vanity Fair is on newsstands, Grimes tweets that they are no longer a couple.
Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography on Musk, simply titled Elon, revealed that Grimes was first charmed by the billionaire when he was driving her to a restaurant on her second date, he accelerated and covered his eyes while putting the car on autopilot.
In the same book, it was revealed that Musk and Grimes had a third 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 together in secret named Techno Mechanicus who they call Tau
When they got to dinner, Musk carved ‘EM+CB’ on a wall.
In the same book, it was revealed that Musk and Grimes had a third 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 together in secret named Techno Mechanicus who they call Tau.
Now, Grimes is in court attempting to sue Musk for parental rights to their three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren.
It does not appear that the X, formerly Twitter, owner has responded to Grimes’ petition.
The Canadian singer, 35, is also yet to request 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 support or custody rights. The petition comes weeks after Grimes issued a public plea to Musk, 52, to see their son.
In a now-deleted tweet to Shivon Zilis, who gave 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 to the billionaire’s twins through IVF, Grimes said: ‘Tell Shivon to unblock me and tell Elon to let me see my son or plz respond to my lawyer.
‘I have never even been allowed to see a photo of these 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren until this moment, despite the situation utterly ripping my family apart.’
Zilis is an executive at Musk’s Neuralink company. She gave 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 last November according to court documents but has not publicly said the two are romantically involved.
