The internet is a weird place. One day you’re scrolling through TikTok or X, and suddenly you see a claim so bizarre it makes you do a double-take. That’s exactly what happened when people started asking: did Penelope Scott and Elon Musk date? It sounds like a Mad Libs generator gone wrong. On one side, you have Penelope Scott, the Gen Z hyper-pop darling known for searingly cynical lyrics about tech bro culture and late-stage capitalism. On the other, you have Elon Musk, the literal face of that culture.
They didn't date. Not even close.
Honestly, the idea that these two would even be in the same zip code by choice is kind of hilarious. If you’ve ever listened to "Ratz" or "Cigarette Ahegao," you know Scott isn't exactly a fan of the billionaire class. Yet, the rumor persists in certain corners of the web. Why? Because the internet loves a good "enemies to lovers" trope, even when it's completely fabricated. This isn't just a story about two people who never met; it's a fascinating look at how stan culture, meme irony, and the TikTok algorithm can manufacture a relationship out of thin air.
Where the Hell Did the Penelope Scott and Elon Musk Dating Rumor Come From?
Tracing the origin of a celebrity hoax is like trying to find the first person who caught a cold at a music festival. It’s everywhere at once. Most of the "evidence" for did Penelope Scott and Elon Musk date stems from a massive misunderstanding of Scott's music. In 2020, Scott released Public Void, an album that basically became the soundtrack for every frustrated teenager stuck in their bedroom during lockdown.
The song "Ratz" is the smoking gun for most theorists. In it, she sings about a "charismatic scientist" and specifically mentions "the guy who’s gonna put us on Mars."
"I'm not a fan of yours, I'm not a fan of your friends / I'm not a fan of the way that you're making amends."
Some listeners took these lyrics—which are clearly a critique of Musk’s public persona and SpaceX ambitions—and twisted them. In the world of "shipping," any mention of a person is a sign of obsession. People started joking that Scott was a "scorned lover." The joke moved from Discord servers to TikTok, and suddenly, the "ironic" dating rumor became a "fact" for people who don't understand sarcasm.
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The age gap alone makes this theory move from "unlikely" to "disturbing." Scott was born in 2000. Musk was born in 1971. While Musk is no stranger to dating younger women—his relationship with Grimes, who is significantly younger than him, is well-documented—there is zero paper trail for Scott. No paparazzi shots. No leaked DMs. No shared flight logs. Nothing.
The Grimes Connection: A Case of Mistaken Identity?
Sometimes these rumors happen because people just get their "indie alt girls" mixed up. Grimes and Penelope Scott inhabit a similar digital aesthetic. They both make music that feels like it was brewed in a motherboard. When Musk and Grimes broke up (the first time, or the second, or the third—it’s hard to keep track), the internet was looking for the next "weird girl" for him to be linked to.
Scott was the perfect candidate for a meme.
Her entire brand is built on being the "anti-Musk." By linking them together, trolls were able to create a narrative that was peak internet chaos. It’s the same energy as those fake "breaking news" posts saying two celebrities who hate each other are getting married. It's meant to trigger a "Wait, WHAT?" reaction. That reaction drives engagement. Engagement drives the algorithm.
And thus, the question did Penelope Scott and Elon Musk date became a frequent search term.
Why the Lyrics Actually Prove They Never Dated
If you actually sit down and analyze Scott’s discography, it becomes incredibly clear that her relationship with Musk is one of subject and critic, not boyfriend and girlfriend. Scott belongs to a generation that feels directly impacted by the decisions of tech titans. Her lyrics in "Ratz" aren't romantic; they’re an indictment.
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- She calls out the "SpaceX" dream as a distraction from Earth's problems.
- She mocks the cult of personality surrounding "genius" billionaires.
- The tone is one of profound disappointment, not heartbreak.
Scott has talked about her music being a vent for her frustrations with the world. She’s a college student who writes about the things that make her angry. Musk is a giant target. To suggest they dated is to fundamentally misunderstand the art she’s making. It would be like saying Rage Against the Machine "secretly dated" the machine they were raging against. It's nonsensical.
The Role of TikTok and "Alternative History"
We live in an era of "alternative history" on social media. On TikTok, users often create "deep lore" for their favorite creators that has no basis in reality. You've probably seen those slideshows with sad music and fake text bubbles. These "headcanons" often bleed into reality for younger users who don't differentiate between a meme and a news report.
The Penelope Scott and Elon Musk dating rumor is a byproduct of this environment. It’s a "what if" that got out of hand.
Musk’s actual dating history is plenty chaotic without adding fictional teenagers to the mix. Between his marriages to Justine Wilson and Talulah Riley, and his high-profile relationships with Amber Heard and Grimes, his life is a tabloid's dream. Adding Penelope Scott to that list serves no purpose other than to create a "funny" juxtaposition between a grumpy billionaire and a TikTok-famous musician who hates him.
Factual Breakdown: Musk's Actual Timeline
To put this to bed, you just have to look at the timeline of Musk's actual life. During the height of Penelope Scott’s rise to fame in 2020 and 2021, Musk was:
- Welcoming his son, X Æ A-12, with Grimes.
- Moving Tesla headquarters to Texas.
- Dealing with the Starship development in Boca Chica.
- Quietly fathering twins with Shivon Zilis (as reported later).
There is no gap in his schedule for a secret fling with a college-aged musician from the Midwest who spent her time writing songs about why he sucks. Scott herself has remained relatively quiet about the rumors, likely because acknowledging them gives them more power than they deserve. When you’re an artist trying to be taken seriously, being linked to a man you’ve publicly criticized is the last thing you want.
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The Psychology of the Rumor
Why do we want this to be true? Or rather, why do we want to talk about it being true?
It's the contrast. We love a clash of worlds. Musk represents the establishment, the "old" wealth (even if it's tech wealth), and the 1%. Scott represents the "new" world—the chronically online, the skeptical, the environmentally conscious. Pairing them up is a way for the internet to process that tension. It’s a narrative device.
But narrative devices aren't reality.
Moving Past the Hoax
The reality is that Penelope Scott and Elon Musk are two people who exist in completely different stratospheres. One is a billionaire obsessed with Mars and X (formerly Twitter); the other is a musician who captures the existential dread of being young in the 21st century.
When you see the question did Penelope Scott and Elon Musk date, the answer is a resounding no. It is a textbook example of how a song lyric can be stripped of its context and repurposed into a viral lie. It’s a reminder to check sources, look at timelines, and maybe—just maybe—not believe every "relationship reveal" you see on a 15-second video clip.
If you’re a fan of Scott, the best thing to do is focus on the music. Her work is a sharp, often painful look at the world we live in. It doesn't need a fake celebrity romance to be interesting. And if you’re a follower of Musk’s antics, don’t worry—he’ll likely provide enough real drama to keep you busy without having to invent any.
How to Spot a Celebrity Dating Hoax
To avoid falling for similar rumors in the future, keep these steps in mind:
- Check the Age Gap: While not a dealbreaker in Hollywood, extreme gaps often signal "fan fiction" territory rather than reality.
- Search for Paparazzi Photos: In 2026, it is almost impossible for two famous people to date without a single grainy photo appearing on a gossip site like DeuxMoi or TMZ.
- Analyze the Source: Did the news come from a verified outlet, or was it a "storytime" video on social media with zero citations?
- Look for Contradictory Evidence: If one party has spent their entire career criticizing the other, a romantic link is highly improbable.
The next time a bizarre pairing pops up on your feed, take a breath. Ask yourself if it makes sense. Usually, the simplest answer—that it's just a joke that went too far—is the right one.