Canada PM Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Gregoire to separate after 18-year marriage
In an unexpected announcement on August 2, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau said that they were separating after 18 years of their high-profile marriage. Trudeau and his wife both shared identical posts on Instagram announcing their separation.
So far, there is no news about their divorce.
What is known about the separation?
- The Canadian Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that the couple has signed a legal separation agreement, though they will be making public appearances together in the future as a family.
- The statement also said that the couple along with their three children will be on a family holiday next week.
- Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau have asked for privacy at this time to ensure the "well-being" of their children, Xavier, 15, Ella-Grace 14, and Hadrien, 9.
- Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, a former TV host, will be moving into separate accommodation in Ottawa. She will be spending time with her children at the prime minister's official residence.
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Their Marriage
- Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau married in 2005 in Montreal. The two had crossed paths as children in Montreal before they met again as adults at a charity event in 2003, according to Vogue.
- Both Trudeau and his wife have spoken frankly in the media about navigating difficulties in their relationship. In recent years, the two had appeared less frequently together in public.
- But they have also praised each other publicly. As recently as in April 2023, Trudeau praised his wife in a post on her birthday.
- Sophie Grégoire Trudeau also praised her husband in a Father's Day post in June.
The separation has painful historical parallels for Justin Trudeau, who is now the second Canadian Prime Minister to announce separation from his wife while still in office. The first was his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau who separated from his mother Margaret Trudeau.
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