Maye Musk has opened up about how happy she is to be single at the age of 71 after decades of going on bad dates and being a ‘jerk magnet.’
In an essay for Glamour, the barrier-breaking model admitted she has never been in a relationship with a partner who loved her, and she loved him back — including her ex-husband Errol Musk, with whom she shares three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren.
‘From the time I was 13 years old and first dating, boys would pursue me, and as soon as I’d spend time with them — and actually start to like them — they’d dump me. Or they would treat me badly,’ she wrote.
Candid: Maye Musk, 71, has penned an essay for about being single, revealing she’s never been in a relationship with a partner who loved her, and she loved him back
Family: The model, who said she is a ‘jerk magnet,’ was married to South African engineer Errol Musk for nine years, and they share three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren together, Elon, Kimbal, and Tosca (L to R)
‘The only time I was ever married was in the ’70s. It was a period in my life when I was so sad that I turned to romance novels, and they gave me hope.’
The author was married to Errol, a South African engineer she met in high school, for nine years, and they have three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren together, including billionaire Elon Musk.
Elon branded his father ‘a terrible human being’ in 2018 and said he’d done ‘almost every evil thing you can possibly think of.’
While he is the eldest and most famous of his parents’ 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, his siblings are equally remarkable. His brother, Kimbal, founded a chain of farm-to-table restaurants and his sister, Tosca, is a filmmaker.
Maye said that when she and Errol divorced, she ‘didn’t know how to date,’ but she took her friend’s advice to put herself out there.
She recalled enduring plenty of ‘bad’ dates, noting that at the age of 44 a guy she had been seeing ditched her on Valentine’s Day when they were supposed to have dinner with six other couples.
Maye, pictured as a teenager in the 1960s, she was so sad when she married that she ‘turned to romance novels’ for hope, but her love life never got any better
Good for her: Maye admitted she put her career as a model and a dietitian before her suitors. She’s pictured with her mother and daughter on her graduation day
Say what? Maye, pictured with a former boyfriend, said she has plenty of ‘bad’ dates, recalling how one man ditched her on Valentine’s Day
‘That night he called me saying, “Actually, I’m going to a friend’s party instead, so I won’t be joining you.” Here I am, sitting at the dining room table, with an empty chair next to me, next to six couples celebrating Valentine’s Day. What a jerk,’ she said.
Maye admitted that she put her career as a model and a dietitian as well as her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren before her suitors and her lack of interest ‘probably hurt’ them.
When she turned 55, she made an effort to give dating a chance and signed up for Match.com using one of her modeling photos, promising herself that she would go on dates with at least 30 men.
Not only did she not meet anyone, but Maye said she was stuck listening to her dates drone on and on about their lives without ever asking her anything about herself.
Nonsense: Maye said when she signed up for Match.com at the age of 55, she had to listen to her dates drone on and on about their lives without ever asking about hers
Living it up: The model, pictured with Katy Perry, said she’s done being a ‘jerk magnet’ and is happy being single
Happy: ‘I would say the last three years have even been the best times of my life,’ wrote Maye, whose new book, ‘A Woman Makes a Plan,’ was released this week
She started doing 30-minute coffee dates instead, but she still didn’t meet anyone who set her pulse racing.
Maye said she is done being a ‘jerk magnet,’ and while she hasn’t completely given up on dating, she noted the only guys who ask her out are strangers who slide into her DMs on Instagram to ask her to meet for tea.
‘People would tell me, “Oh, but the right man will come along when you don’t expect it.” Let me tell you, I haven’t been expecting it for 16 years—and nobody has come along,’ she said.
‘But I’ve never been happier. I would say the last three years have even been the best times of my life. I have a dog and a career that I love. I have a wonderful family and great friends. I’m fulfilled.’
Maye certainly has plenty to celebrate. She made history in 2018 when she became the face of CoverGirl at the age of 69, and her modeling career continues to thrive.
Earlier this week, she released her new book, ‘A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success,’ which she has been happily promoting