'I Barely Recognized Myself': Elon Musk's First Wife Justine's Essay About Marriage Resurfaces As Assault Allegations Emerge

They met when she was an aspiring writer in her first year at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. Musk took an interest in her ambitions, which was a breath of fresh air for Justine, who was used to men paying attention to her "long hair or narrow waist."

Musk and Justine eventually went their separate ways, but he surprised her with a phone call and a romance blossomed from there. Before she knew it, Justine was planning a wedding to a man that would be building a mega fortune.

"As we danced at our wedding reception, Elon told me, 'I am the alpha in this relationship.' I shrugged it off, just as I would later shrug off signing the postnuptial agreement, but as time went on, I learned that he was serious," she wrote.

Over time, Justine said she didn't recognize herself. "I had turned into a trophy wife — and I sucked at it," she added about her bright blonde hair, writing about the counseling they tried before he filed for divorce.

Musk and Justine ultimately split in 2008 after eight years of marriage. He later wed British actress Talulah Riley twice, dated actress Amber Heard and welcomed two children with singer Grimes.

Despite their split, Justine said she had no regrets, revealing that she worked through some anger, "both at Elon for rendering me so disposable, and at myself for buying into a fairy tale when I should have known better."

She added, "But I will always respect the brilliant and visionary person that he is … Elon and I share custody of [our five] children, who are thriving. I feel grounded now, and deeply grateful for my life."

Musk argued in his response that "my ex-wife . . . contributes frequently to the public literature on the divorce," and added that he had offered Justine a post-split settlement "equivalent to a pre-tax income of $80 million," which she rejected.