Amber Heard's Twitter Account Disappears Amid Ex Elon Musk's Takeover

Amber Heard's Twitter account has been deactivated following her ex-boyfriend Elon Musk's highly publicized purchase of the social media platform.

The Tesla CEO's deal to take over the company closed last week, although the billionaire had tried to pull out from the deal in July, which prompted Twitter to sue him in response. He has spoken repeatedly of prioritizing free speech on the platform.

As Twitter users gear up for anticipated changes, it was noticed on Tuesday that the account belonging to Heard had been unexpectedly deactivated.

"Amber Heard has deleted her Twitter," read a tweet from YouTuber Matthew Lewis, who is better known on social media as That Umbrella Guy.

Lewis also shared a screenshot of Heard's page, which showed that a search for her Twitter handle, @RealAmberHeard, came up empty. A message explained that the "account doesn't exist."

The vanishing of Heard's account led to speculation on the platform, as a number of Twitter users questioned whether it was linked to Musk's takeover.

"Hmm looks like someone didn't want their ex-boyfriend to have access to their account and DM's," tweeted Morgan Tremaine, a former TMZ employee who testified at Heard's defamation court battle against ex-husband Johnny Depp earlier this year.

Although Tremaine's theory garnered support from Heard's detractors, some of the Aquaman star's supporters jumped to her defense.

"This is not the flex you think it is," wrote one in response to Tremaine. "Do you really think that even if she deleted her Twitter to keep her ex from stalking her private messages, that this wouldn't be an abuse of his power here? Making Elon Musk sound like a creep to own Amber Heard, oh you really showed her."

While no reason has been publicly given for Heard's Twitter account being deactivated, she reportedly faced relentless backlash and trolling on multiple social media platforms during her high-profile court battle with Depp.

Depp, 59, filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Heard, 36, in response to her 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post, in which she said she was a domestic abuse survivor. Depp was not named in the piece.

In June, the jury found that Heard had defamed Depp and awarded him more than $10 million. Depp, in turn, was ordered to pay $2 million to Heard—who had countersued for $100 million, alleging that he had defamed her through comments made by his attorney Adam Waldman. Both sides are now appealing the verdicts.

During the trial, fans following the proceedings shone a spotlight on Heard's relationship with Musk, 51, whom she briefly dated after her 2016 split from Depp. Musk had been expected to testify at the trial—but did not—after it was announced that he was on the witness list.

Their relationship goes back a decade, when they met on the set of the 2013 movie Machete Kills, in which Heard played "Miss San Antonio" Blanca Vasquez, while Musk made a cameo as himself.

Musk, whose divorce from actress Talulah Riley was finalized in 2016, was drawn to Heard's "edginess," People reported during the early stages of their romance.

However, it was announced in a joint statement shared with People in August 2017 that the celebrity world's newest high-profile couple were no longer together.

"Having read recent articles about our relationship, we would like to speak for ourselves," their statement read. "The distance has been really tough on our relationship, because we haven't been able to see each other much.

"All relationships have their ups and downs, of course. People occasionally send out speculation, which has no basis in fact, without our knowledge, believing that they have our best interests in mind.

"Sometimes, other agendas are at work. It can get a little weird.... However, we would like to state directly that we have the utmost respect for one another, and it would be troubling if anyone had the impression that we thought otherwise," the statement said.

Musk addressed the split on Twitter, insisting that there was still "love" between him and his ex.

"Btw, just to clear up some of the press storms this weekend, although Amber and I did break up, we are still friends, remain close and love one another," Musk tweeted at the time, according to Page Six.

Citing their busy schedules as a major stumbling block, he added: "Long-distance relationships when both partners have intense work obligations are always difficult, but who knows what the future holds."

Musk was decidedly more candid in an interview with author and Rolling Stone writer Neil Strauss. "I just broke up with my girlfriend. I was really in love, and it hurt bad.... Well, she broke up with me more than I broke up with her, I think," he said.

Sharing his feelings about relationships generally, he continued: "If I'm not in love, if I'm not with a long-term companion, I cannot be happy. I will never be happy without having someone. Going to sleep alone kills me."

Heard was a little less forthcoming, writing in an August 2017 Instagram post: "Being in the public eye means having to explain yourself to so many people, so much of the time. In this case, I'd like to remain more quiet.

"Although we have broken up, Elon and I care deeply for one another and remain close. Thank you for the continued support, respect, and privacy during these difficult, very human times," she said.

The difficult times seemed to ease months later, with Musk and Heard spotted out and about together at the end of 2017. However, it was reported in early 2018 that things were over for them once again, this time for good.

Musk's relationship with Heard was discussed in court during her recent defamation trial, when it came out in testimony that the billionaire may have donated money to the American Civil Liberties Union on her behalf.

He was spoken about in further detail when Depp's former talent agent, Christian Carino—who also happens to be Lady Gaga's former fiancé—shared text messages exchanged with Heard concerning Musk.

In the 2017 texts, Heard said that she was sad while going through a breakup and hated when things "went public." Carino believes she was referring to Musk.

Heard's relationship with Musk occurred two months after she had made allegations of domestic violence against Depp.

"You told me a thousand times you were just filling space," Carino texted Heard about Musk in 2017. "You weren't in love with him."

"I'm saying, why would you be sad if you weren't in love with him to begin with?" Carino continued.

Heard responded: "I know, but I wanted time to grieve and recover in my own time."

Newsweek has reached out to a representative of Heard for comment.