By Ebi Kesiena
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau disclosed on Wednesday, their plans to divorce and go their separate ways after 18 years of marriage.
A brief statement on Instagram issued from the prime minister’s office and also shared by Sophie’s account noted that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, the couple have deemed it fit to separate.
Signed by PMO spokesperson Alison Murphy further reveled that the prime minister and Sophie have signed a legal separation agreement.
“As always, we remain a close family with deep love and respect for each other and for everything we have built and will continue to build,”
His office requested respect for their privacy adding that it is for the well-being of their children.
‘‘The Trudeaus are asking Canadians to respect the family’s privacy at this time.
“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’’ he said.
Also, Trudeau’s office said that the prime minister and Sophie are focused on raising their kids in a safe, loving and collaborative environment, stating that both will be a constant presence in their children’s lives.
The statement said Canadians can expect to still see the family together and that they will be on vacation together next week.
About Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau
Prime Minister Trudeau, 51, and Sophie, 48, were married May 28, 2005, at a ceremony in Montreal and will be the second prime minister to announce a separation while in office.
The couple first met as children when she was a classmate of his youngest brother, Michel, and reconnected as adults when they co-hosted a charity gala in 2003.
They initially lived in Montreal, where their son Xavier, 15, and daughter Ella-Grace, 14, were born. They moved to Ottawa as a family in 2010, two years after he was elected MP for Papineau in Montreal.
Their nine-year-old son Hadrien was born in Ottawa.
Sophie Trudeau was a Quebec entertainment TV personality but stepped away from that career after their move to the national capital.
The prime minister and his wife most recently travelled together to London to attend the coronation of King Charles III in May and hosted U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden’s official visit to Ottawa in March.
