Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau And Wife Sophie End 18-Year Marriage: 'Hi Everyone'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau have decided to separate after 18 years of marriage, according to statements posted by both on Instagram Wednesday. 

"Hi everyone," Trudeau began, adding, "Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate." 

Gregoire Trudeau posted the same statement on Instagram but in French – the pair’s first language and the country's second official language.

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The Background: Similar to the longstanding rumors surrounding former President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, speculation has been rife for years that the marriage of the Canadian leader and his wife was facing difficulties.

Unlike the Trumps, Trudeau, who was first elected in 2015 and was reelected in the 2019 and 2021 Federal elections, has publicly opened up about his marriage difficulties. While promoting his 2014 memoir, "Common Ground," the then Liberal Party leader admitted that the political landscape had impacted his marriage and acknowledged that there were moments when his wife “hates” his job, according to the CBC. 

"There are times when [Sophie] hates my job and she hates me for loving my job,” Trudeau told CBC News Network’s “Power & Politics” host Evan Solomon. 

Trudeau and Gregoire Trudeau were married in 2005 after dating for two years. Trudeau, 51, and Grégoire Trudeau, 48, have three children together: two sons, Xavier (15) and Hadrien (nine), and a daughter Ella-Grace (14). 

"For the well-being of our children, we ask that you respect our and their privacy. Thank you," the Prime Minister wrote in his statement. 

According to the CBC, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Trudeau and Gregoire Trudeau have “signed a legal separation agreement.”

“They remain a close family and Sophie and the Prime Minister are focused on raising their kids in a safe, loving and collaborative environment.  Both parents will be a constant presence in their children’s lives and Canadians can expect to often see the family together,” the leader's office wrote. 

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