'Who knows what the future holds': Elon Musk still hopes for future with Amber Heard following split

Elon Musk has been having a pretty busy work year what with his companies – Tesla and SpaceX– working on innovations in space tech, self-drive automobiles and solutions to various other every-day problems. So it came as no surprise that the billionaire had to put his relationship with actress Amber Heard in the back seat.

Heard, for her part, has been tied up with filming Aquaman in Australia and will soon begin promotions for Justice League. With schedules jam-packed with work obligations, the couple was forced to part ways, ending their year-long relationship.

For the first time since news of their split made the headlines, Heard took to Instagram to address the issue and explain to fans that she and Musk continue to be very close.

"Being in the public eye means having to explain yourself to so many people, so much of the time," she captioned a photo of the words "Give", "Love" and "Joy" spelled out in rose petals.

"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 added.

Her 8 August post followed a similar comment the SpaceX CEO made when reacting to one of the 31-year-old actress' Instagram posts in which she posed like Ariel from the Little Mermaid. After describing the image as "V cute" the 46-year-old added: "Btw, just to clear up some of the press storm this weekend, although Amber and I did break up, we are still friends, remain close and love one another. Long distance relationship when both partners have intense work obligations are always difficult, but who knows what the future holds."