Sophie Grégoire Trudeau opens up about Justin Trudeau’s relationship with Katy Perry

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, former wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaks during Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sunday, July 1, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Appearing on the Arlene is Alone podcast, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau reflected on her current relationship with former prime minister Justin Trudeau, emphasizing that despite their separation, they remain connected as co-parents.

In August 2023, the pair separated after 18 years of marriage and have three children: Xavier, Ella-Grace and Hadrien.

“I’m definitely not a single mom,” she said in her conversation with Canadian author and TV personality Arlene Dickinson. “I have a partnership with a father who has such deep love and availability to his children.”

Grégoire Trudeau spoke openly about the toll political life has taken on her family throughout the years, noting that “in politics, everything changes … you’re very often gone from the house,” and that public service in the world we live in brings “scrutiny,” “physical and psychological stress, and safety issues” that families must face together.

“We’ve raised these kids together,” she said.

She described the daily reality of co-parenting, even while living separate lives.

“We call each other up. We’ll text each other like, ‘Hey, like I know you’re not here, but this is what’s going on,’” she said. “We really try to build cohesion so that the kids feel that cohesion.”

“We have separate lives but we have one family life,” Grégoire Trudeau explained. “A common conscious decision of our family is our greatest creation and we’re going to feed it together no matter if we’re on different life paths.”

She also reflected on the emotional resilience in the public eye, including Trudeau’s current dating spectacle with U.S. singer Katy Perry after the two were spotted dining together in Montreal and on other occasions.

“We’re human beings and stuff affects us.… How you react to stuff is your decision,” she said.

A self-described “super-tender heart,” she added, “I let myself feel. I’ll let myself be disappointed by someone. I’ll let myself be angry, be sad.… I know for a fact how important it is as a mental health advocate to feel those emotions.”

“At the end of the day, when you go to bed, (you ask) what did I do in this case to take care of myself? And to be my best parent?”