Amber Heard said in court that her relationship with Elon Musk began when then-husband Johnny Depp stood her up at the 2016 Met Gala.
The actress explained the connection as part of her testimony during Depp’s ongoing defamation trial, Mediaite reported. Heard began by telling the jury how she arrived at “fashion’s biggest night” solo that year.
“I got out of the car and walked the red carpet by myself, escorted by somebody from Ralph Lauren’s team and I sat next to an empty place setting for Johnny that they cleared as soon as they realized he had effectively stood me up on the red carpet,” the “Aquaman” alum explained.
Heard next explained her run-in with Musk.
“I didn’t recognize him until we started talking. He’d reminded me we’d met once before,” she said. “We spoke on the red carpet in the waiting line. He seemed like a real gentleman, he was really nice.”
Heard recalled how Musk “sat at a nearby table” during the gala and that the pair “got to speaking” and “eventually became friends.”
Musk and Heard were romantically linked beginning in 2016, a month after she filed for divorce from Depp. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor claims that Heard was cheating on him with Musk way before that and throughout their marriage.
The Daily Wire previously reported that Musk and Heard’s text communications were subpoenaed as part of the investigation but that the world’s richest man would not be required to testify.
Court documents indicated that Musk visited Depp’s penthouse “late at night” while the actor was not at home. The 50-year-old Tesla founder was also allegedly given parking garage access.
“Musk’s first appearance in Mr. Depp’s penthouse occurred shortly after Ms. Heard threw a vodka bottle at Mr. Depp in Australia, when she learned that Mr. Depp wanted the couple to enter into a post-nuptial agreement concerning assets in their marriage. Ms. Heard’s violently aimed projectile virtually severed Mr. Depp’s middle finger on his right hand and shattered the bones,” court documents state.
A representative for Musk denied that Musk and Heard’s relationship overlapped with her marriage to Depp.
“Elon and Amber didn’t start seeing each other until May 2016, and even then it was infrequent. Their relationship didn’t become romantic until some time later,” the statement said.
One email exchange between Heard and talent agent Christian Carino provided more insight. “I hate when things go public,” Heard wrote in August 2017.
“You weren’t in love with him and you told me a thousand times you were just filling space,” Carino replied.