Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he and his wife, Sophie, are separating
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is separating from his wife, former television host Sophie Grégoire, after 18 years of marriage, he announced Wednesday.
“Sophie and I would like to share that, after numerous difficult and reflective conversations, we have made the decision to separate,” Trudeau, 51, said in a statement.
“As always, we remain a close family with profound love for one another and for everything we have built and continue to build.
“For the wellbeing of our children, we ask that you respect our privacy and theirs. Thank you.”
Trudeau and Grégoire, 48, first met as children in Montréal.
They reconnected as adults in 2003, and were married two years later, CBC News reported at the time.
The couple shares three children, the youngest of whom was born one year before Trudeau was elected prime minister for the first time in 2015.
Trudeau’s office confirmed on Wednesday that the pair had already signed a legal agreement.
“They have worked to ensure that all legal and ethical steps with regards to their decision to separate have been taken, and will continue to do so moving forward,” the statement read.
“They remain a close family and Sophie and the prime minister are focused on raising their kids in a safe, loving and collaborative environment. The family will be together on vacation, beginning next week.”
Trudeau is only the second Canadian Prime Minister to announce a separation while in office.
His father, Pierre Trudeau, separated from his much-younger wife, Margaret, in 1979, and was formally divorced in 1984.
The elder Trudeau, who died in 2000 at age 80, famously dated “Superman” actress Margot Kidder for the last months of his tenure, the Ottawa Citizen reported.
News of News of Justin Trudeau and Grégoire’s separation will come as a shock to the public, as they frequently presented a united front throughout the former’s sometimes rocky political career.
Less than three months ago, Trudeau and Grégoire were spotted holding hands at the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London.
