A picture-perfect partnership ends with a
surprise split. So who is Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the soon-to-be ex-wife of
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau? Before entering the world of politics,
Sophie worked as a host for "eTalk," an entertainment news show in Canada. The
Quebec native married Justin in 2005, and together, the pair have three children. After Justin became prime minister in 2015,
Sophie stepped up to the plate and has been incredibly vocal about women's rights and mental
health awareness. The latter is especially near and dear to her heart, as Sophie has been open
about her experience with mental health issues. "What I know is that I'm here to serve
and I want to make a difference." The former TV personality revealed
she lived with an eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, as a teenager.
In a 2011 interview with life coach and Global News correspondent
Erica Diamond, Sophie explained, "Eating was my only way of controlling my life, or
so I thought. When you are addicted or suffering from a mental illness, you think you're in
complete control. But the opposite is true." Sophie told the Toronto Star she was afraid the
news would ruin her career in entertainment when she first publicly discussed her eating disorder.
However, in the years that have followed, she has used her political platform to open up discussions
about eating disorders and mental health. In 2023, Sophie posted a throwback
photo of herself smiling in a headshot on Instagram. In the caption, she
spoke about her experience and wrote, "Does this girl look like she’s
suffering? [...] No one had shown me how to sit with the pain I was dealing with, and I didn't know I needed help and guidance to
better understand the roots of my own suffering." In 2017, she spoke at an event for
Canada's Eating Disorder Awareness Week and revealed candid details about
her life with bulimia and how she felt ashamed by it. She also touched on how she
was able to overcome the disorder, saying, "The moment I started sharing my story,
obviously I had begun on my road to recovery. The response and the people who were
opening up towards their own struggles to me and to other people around them was the
most beautiful gift I've ever received." Sophie has also noted that she had support from
loved ones, which is very helpful when dealing with an eating disorder. In an interview
with Fashion magazine, she revealed that she first sought help after confiding in her
mother, Estelle, about her eating disorder. "It opened the door towards healing." According to the Star, she also used
yoga, meditation, and therapy to heal. Sophie told the Toronto Star that she is open
about her eating disorder and wants to remove the stigma around the topic. She reiterated this
sentiment in an Instagram video from May 2023, where she encouraged others living with mental
health issues to seek help. Despite being praised for her mental health initiatives,
Sophie has not been immune to criticism. The Guardian reported that Sophie landed
in hot water in 2016 after she said in an interview that she needed extra staffers
to help with her responsibilities as the prime minister's wife. Some opposing politicians
berated her for this comment, while others said this response was sexist. The Star supported
Sophie's comments in an editorial, writing, "The instant, often spiteful reaction from both social media and other politicians who
should know better smacks of ignorance about the requirements of the role the
prime minister's wife has taken on." Moreover, Sophie and Justin were condemned in
2020 when it was revealed that the WE charity, an organization that had been
given a government contract, had paid nearly $24,000 for Sophie to make public
appearances, according to the National Post. Although Sophie and Justin
had been married since 2005, Sophie told Erica Diamond in 2011 that
she had known Justin since they were kids, and revealed that he played hard-to-get,
but eventually came around. She disclosed, "On our first date, our very first date, he
looked into my eyes, and said, 'I've been waiting for you 31 years. You're going to be my
wife. We're going to have a family together.'" That they did, but in early August 2023,
Sophie and Justin dropped shocking news, announcing on Instagram that they were
separating. Sophie wrote, in part, "As always, we remain a close
family with deep love and respect for each other for everything we have
built and will continue to build." Sophie also posted the news on her Instagram
in French. According to the Guardian, the two have made a legal separation agreement.
Justin's office released a statement that read, "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." Sophie is not only a public figure,
she's also a mother. Moreover, her two oldest children, Xavier and Ella-Grace, are teenagers — putting them at particular risk
of mental health issues such as eating disorders. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine,
anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are most commonly seen in patients between
the ages of 12 and 25. Sophie wants to get the word out to fellow mothers not only to
safeguard their children's mental health, but also their own. She told
the Toronto Star in 2021, "I think as parents, we have the
responsibility to tame our own fears because as adults we have greater
tools with experience, one would hope, to deal with our emotions, and
then children will feed off that." "Being real is not a strategy; being
real is just showing who you are." She added that parents have to practice
self-care in order to help their kids deal with their overwhelming emotions.
In her sit-down with Erica Diamond, Sophie also offered signs for parents that a
child or teen may have an eating disorder, adding, "The most important thing if you suspect
an eating disorder, is to have the awkward conversation instead of remaining in silence.
Move past the fact that it may be uncomfortable, and have that conversation. Those
awkward moments could save a life." Now that the Trudeaus have called it quits,
Sophie has to rebuild her image as a private citizen. As CTV News pointed out, she will no
longer represent the Canadian government in any capacity. She'll also lose out on the privileges
she formerly enjoyed as the prime minister's wife, such as attending important international
conferences and high-profile events. She and Justin joined the many
mourners at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022 and returned to
London eight months later to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. And while
the prime minister will continue to host honored visitors to his residence,
Sophie will be left out of the loop. The timing of the split is also regrettable
from a PR standpoint. Just a few months earlier, Sophie had announced the upcoming publication of
her new book, "Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other." Dropping in April 2024,
the book is described as "a deeply personal journey toward self-knowledge,
acceptance, and empowerment." Now it remains to be seen whether Sophie will
do any last-minute revisions to reflect recent events, as Prince Harry did for his memoir,
"Spare," following the death of the queen. The book's title may also come off as
ironic in the wake of their separation.
