Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Wife Sophie Split After 18 Years of Marriage

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, have announced their separation after 18 years of marriage.

Taking to Instagram, they stated that the decision was made after many meaningful and difficult conversations.

In a joint statement, the couple requested privacy before embarking on a planned family vacation next week. They signed a "legal separation agreement," clarifying that it is not a divorce.

The Trudeaus, who are both in their early 50s, expressed their intention to focus on the "development of their children" and assured Canadians that they can expect to see the family together often.

The prime minister and his former journalist wife rekindled their childhood friendship and later reunited at a charity event in 2003.

They married in 2005 in Montreal and have three children - Xavier (15), Ella-Grace (14), and Hadrien (9).

This is the first separation of a Canadian Prime Minister since Justin's father, Pierre Trudeau, divorced Margaret Trudeau in 1984, during the final months of his term.

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau has been a constant presence alongside her husband throughout his political career, from his election in 2015 through his terms in 2019 and 2021.

In addition to her television career, she has become a public figure for her involvement in various charitable and social causes, including mental health, eating disorders, and gender equality.