Some people find the love of their life and stick with them. Others find the love of their life, marry them, divorce them, realize they made a huge mistake, marry them again, and then—eventually—decide that being best friends is actually the better deal. That is basically the story of Talulah Riley and Elon Musk.
It’s a saga that feels like it was ripped straight out of a script, which is fitting since Talulah is a British actress known for Pride & Prejudice and Westworld. Honestly, their relationship timeline is a bit of a head-spinner. They didn't just have a long-term relationship; they had a double-decker marriage that spanned nearly a decade of chaotic growth for Musk’s empire.
The London Meet-Cute and a Whirlwind Proposal
It all started in 2008. Elon had just filed for divorce from his first wife, Justine Wilson. He was in London, hanging out at a club called Whiskey Mist in Mayfair. That's where he met Talulah. At the time, she was a 22-year-old rising star, and he was a 37-year-old billionaire trying to get SpaceX off the ground.
He didn't exactly use a standard pickup line. Instead, he reportedly showed her pictures of his rockets on his phone. It sounds nerdy, but it worked. Within ten days, he proposed.
They got married in 2010 at Dornoch Cathedral in Scotland. It was a beautiful, high-society affair. But the honeymoon phase didn't last forever. By 2012, the cracks were showing. Elon famously tweeted at the time: "It was an amazing four years. I will love you forever. You will make someone very happy one day."
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That "someone" turned out to be him. Again.
Why They Married and Divorced Twice
Most people would call it quits after a divorce is finalized. Not these two. Just 18 months after their first split, they remarried in July 2013.
Talulah has spoken about this since, and her explanation is actually pretty grounded. She told The Independent that it felt "silly" to be together but not married after already having been husband and wife. It was almost like a habit. They were living together, she was helping raise his five sons (twins and triplets from his first marriage), and they just fell back into the rhythm of being a family unit.
But the pressure of the "Musk lifestyle" is no joke. We're talking about a man who works 100-hour weeks and lives on the edge of technical catastrophe. While Elon was trying to save Tesla from bankruptcy and landing rockets on ships, Talulah was often left navigating a world that revolved entirely around his ambitions.
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The Final Breakup (2016)
The second marriage hit a rough patch pretty quickly. Elon filed for divorce on New Year’s Eve in 2014 but withdrew it seven months later. They tried to make it work for another year, but in March 2016, Talulah was the one who filed. This time, it stuck.
The settlement was reportedly around $16 million. For a billionaire, that's a drop in the bucket, but for Talulah, it represented a clean break to go back to her own life in England. There was no public mud-slinging. No messy court battles. Just two people realizing they were better off as "best friends."
Life After Musk: Where is Talulah Riley Now?
If you think Talulah spent her post-Elon years pining, you haven't been paying attention. She’s a powerhouse in her own right. Beyond acting, she became a published novelist with books like Acts of Love and The Quickening.
She also found love again, and this time, it seems a lot more low-key. In 2021, while filming the FX series Pistol, she met Thomas Brodie-Sangster (the kid from Love Actually all grown up). They hit it off, kept things private for a while, and eventually got married in June 2024.
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The coolest part? Elon Musk is actually supportive. When they announced their engagement on X (formerly Twitter), Elon replied with a "Congratulations" and a red heart emoji. It’s a rare example of a Hollywood-adjacent divorce that didn't end in a total bridge-burning.
What Most People Get Wrong About Their Relationship
A common misconception is that Talulah was just a "trophy wife." That couldn't be further from the truth.
- She was a co-parent: She spent eight years helping raise Elon's children. Even after the second divorce, she spoke about how much she loved those boys.
- She wasn't a traditional housewife: In interviews, she’s described her life with Musk as being surrounded by "rockets and cars and things blowing up." It was a high-intensity partnership, not a quiet domestic life.
- They are still "best friends": They still talk. They still care for each other. In 2024, she told The Times that they are in a "happy place" where they are good to each other.
Key Takeaways from the Musk-Riley Saga
Looking at the history of Talulah Riley and Elon Musk, there are a few real-world lessons about relationships, even if you aren't a billionaire.
- Remarriage isn't always a mistake: Sometimes you need that second go-around to realize that while the love is real, the lifestyle compatibility isn't.
- Grace in ending matters: You can have an amicable divorce. It takes effort and a lack of ego, but these two proved it’s possible to move from "spouses" to "best friends" without a tabloid war.
- Independence is vital: Talulah's ability to maintain her own career and identity—eventually moving back to the UK and finding a partner in her own industry—shows the importance of not getting swallowed by a partner's massive shadow.
If you’re interested in following Talulah’s current chapter, she lives in Hertfordshire with Thomas Brodie-Sangster and a smallholding full of animals, including sheep, ducks, and a "bridesmaid" horse that attended their wedding. It’s a far cry from the Bel Air mansions and rocket launchpads, and honestly, she seems happier than ever.
For those wanting to dive deeper into the world of celebrity relationships and the realities of high-profile splits, you might want to look into the biographies of other tech giants, as their personal lives often mirror the intensity of their business ventures.