Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau Split After 18 Years of Marriage

After 18 years of marriage, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, announced their separation on Wednesday.

The prime minister made a statement on his Instagram account "Many meaningful and difficult conversations" the pair has "made the decision to separate."

The couple has reportedly signed a legal separation agreement, according to a statement from the prime minister's office.

A source with knowledge of the situation told the Reuters news agency that the couple would share custody of their kids. The prime minister has resided at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa since 2015 with his family, and they will continue to do so.

Despite relocating to a different residence in Ottawa, Gregoire Trudeau is planning to spend a lot of time with the kids at Rideau Cottage to give them the most typical upbringing possible, according to the source

 “They remain a close family, and Sophie and the prime minister are focused on raising their kids in a safe, loving and collaborative environment.”

Furthermore, the statement from Trudeau’s office added that:

“The family will be together on vacation, beginning next week.”

Gregoire Trudeau was a former model and TV host. Sophie Gregoire and Justin Trudeau became friends as kids and reconnected as adults during a charity gala in 2003 when both co-hosted the event. Two years later, they got married in 2005. The three kids of the couple, ages 15, 14, and nine were born after their May 2005 wedding.

In 2015, 51-year-old Justin Trudeau one of Canada's most well-known political figures was sworn into prime minister office. In its January 2016 issue, Vogue magazine featured a positive profile of the two, complete with images of them cuddling. The magazine said about the couple

“Shocks some with his public displays of affection toward his wife”.

The first few years after Trudeau took office, he and Sophia Gregoire Trudeau were frequently spotted together at social events and traveling abroad. Trudeau made it clear even before he was elected prime minister that the couple had faced difficulties. He explained the situation in his autobiography Common Ground in 2014:

“Our marriage isn’t perfect, and we have had difficult ups and downs”.

Gregoire Trudeau has reduced joint appearances with her husband recently, and stress symptoms were noticeable. At Canada Day events in Ottawa last month, the two were visible in public together.

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau posted a statement on her social media on her last wedding anniversary with Prime ministers:

“We have navigated through sunny days, heavy storms, and everything in between and it ain’t over”.

She also gave an indication of this very situation, “Long-term relationships are challenging in so many ways.”

Moreover, Trudeau is the second prime minister who has announced the separation while in office. In 1979, Pierre Trudeau, his father, and Margaret Trudeau, his mother, also announced their separation in 1984, the last year the elder Trudeau served as prime minister.