Elon Musk was reportedly the reason behind Sergey Brin and his wife Nicole Shanahan’s divorce. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO allegedly had a brief affair with Shanahan last year, which led to the Google co-founder to file for divorce and end his friendship with Musk, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. 

Who Is Nicole Shanahan? 

Nicole Shanahan is a California-based attorney and the founder and president of the Bia-Echo Foundation. She and Sergey Brin started dating in 2015 and tied the knot in an intimate ceremony on November 7, 2018. The couple welcomed their their daughter the same year. She is 33 years old. 

Last month, Brin filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences”, according to Insider. The 48-year-old billionaire also reportedly asked for joint custody of their daughter with no expectation of child support from Shanahan.

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As per the court filings submitted in Santa Clara County, California, the couple got separated in December 2021. 

The statement issued by the County read, “Because of the high profile nature of their relationship, there is likely to be a significant public interest in their dissolution case and any potential child custody issues.”

The statement from Brin’s attorney stated that both parties were prioritising their daughter’s safety and privacy.

“Of great concern is that such publicity puts their minor child at risk of danger, harassment, and even kidnapping if the specifics of their day-to-day whereabouts are exposed to the public,” the statement read, New York Post reported. 

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According to the Journal report, Brin and Shanahan were separated but still living together when she had the alleged affair with Musk. Several weeks after learning of the affair, Brin filed for divorce. 

Musk also reportedly apologized to Brin at a party earlier this year. Though Brin acknowledged the apology, he is not on regular speaking terms with Musk, the Journal reported.