After a complicated divorce from Johnny Depp nearly a year ago, Amber Heard is coming out the other side.
Around this time last year, the 31-year-old actress was at the center of a highly publicized split from her husband of a year. However, the public barely suspected trouble in paradise until the Aquaman star filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences" and, two days later, was granted a domestic violence restraining order against Depp.
"She did what she had to do to protect herself," a source told E! News at the time. "It wasn't an easy decision, but this is the truth. It was very hard for her."
By August 2016, the exes had settled out of court for a reported $7 million, which Heard donated to the ACLU and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. While it would take nearly five more months for the divorce to be legally finalized in January, Heard was already moving on with her life and away from the drama that plagued her.
Toward the end of the summer, reports emerged pairing Heard with 45-year-old Tesla billionaire Elon Musk, who had been friends with the couple before the breakup, according to a source. The mogul donated to Art of Elysium, an arts foundation that Heard is an avid supporter of. According to the insider, they also worked together to plan the previous year's gala.
Meanwhile, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Musk tried to get an introduction to Heard years earlier by emailing Machete Kills director Robert Rodriguez for a meeting with his star. "Can you send her a note saying I would like to get together for lunch in LA?" he reportedly wrote in one email to the Rodriguez team, according to THR. "Am not angling for a date. I know she's in a long-term relationship, but … Amber just seems like an interesting person to meet."
Eventually they did meet and had been spotted out together on multiple occasions amid the Danish Girl actress' split—hanging out in South Beach and partying in London to name a few. While headlines suggested otherwise, sources maintained that the two were just friends and probably had a lot to discuss considering Musk was also going through a divorce from his on-and-off ex-wife, Talulah Riley. If there was anyone who could understand the complicated process of separating, it was the business magnate.
That bonding amounted to something considering the two recently met in Australia where she is filming and headed off to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, where they were spotted on a stroll arm in arm and later took a ride on the attraction's zip lining course. It marked the first time the two had been photographed together on a public outing.
While neither star has addressed recurring questions about the nature of their relationship, they added more fuel to the seemingly romantic fire when they both shared a photo of Musk with a lip print on his cheek from none other than Heard.
"Cheeky," the actress coyly captioned the shot. Did they just make it Instagram official?
While the details surrounding this pairing remain up in the air, it's important to note Heard's expression—she's smiling.