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Looks like it’s over, eh? Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and his wife of 18 years, Sophie Grégoire, have announced that they have separated.

The couple released a statement on Instagram saying that they ‘remain a close family’ and have ‘signed a legal agreement’. Although the word divorce is not used, it seems to imply that the marriage is over.

Trudeau shared the news on Wednesday in a post published in both English and French, writing: “Hi everyone, Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate.”

Trudeau, 51, and Grégoire, 48, were married in late May 2005. The couple first met as youths in Montreal when she was a classmate of his youngest brother, Michel. They reconnected as adults in 2003, while Grégoire Trudeau was working as a TV entertainment reporter and they co-hosted a charity gala.

When Trudeau was first elected prime minister in 2015, Grégoire Trudeau had a high public profile, meeting with international leaders, dignitaries and community organizers while joining her husband on foreign trips.

She has a book due for publication in 2024 called Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other, but with the recent news, this may seem a weird read.

 

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Their official office has asked for privacy but confirmed that “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.”

They have three children: Xavier, 15, Ella-Grace, 14, and Hadrien, nine.

Trudeau’s father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the first Canadian prime minister to become a single parent through separation, after initially separating from Margaret Trudeau in 1977.

In April, Trudeau shared a series of photos of the couple in honor of Sophie’s birthday, writing, “Happy birthday, Sophie. From this, to this, and everything in between, there’s no one I’d rather have by my side… I love you, mon amour.”

 

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Even divorce seems to be kind and respectful in Canada. They had a good run, so the best to both of them.

[source:people&guardian]