After 18 Years of Marriage and Having Three Children, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau-Sophie Agreed to Separate

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie are in the middle of an activity at Ottawa. (Wikimedia Commons/Taymaz Valley)

JAKARTA - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie announced that they had agreed to separate after 18 years of marriage.

PM Trudeau and Sophie have previously spoken candidly about the difficulties in their relationship, with the two having seen less and less in public in recent years.

Trudeau, 51, and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, 48, married in May 2005 and have three children, aged 15, 14 and nine. On their anniversary in 2020, Justin described Sophie as "my rock, my partner, and my best friend."

"Sophie and I wanted to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have decided to go our separate ways," Trudeau said on Instagram, while Sophie posted a similar message on her own Instagram account.

The pair made the announcement a week after PM Trudeau launched a sweeping cabinet reshuffle, in a bid to increase the lead of his Liberal Party, which is trailing in the opinion polls. The aide said he was determined to lead the Liberal Party to the next election, which will be held in October 2025.

Meanwhile, PM Trudeau's office said the two had signed a legal agreement, stressing the couple would focus on raising their children. The family is going on vacation together next week.

Gregoire Trudeau will move to separate accommodation in Ottawa, but plans to spend a lot of time with the children at Rideau Cottage, the prime minister's official residence, to ensure they get a normal education, said a source familiar with the situation.

The source, who requested anonymity due to the highly sensitive situation, said the couple will have joint custody of the children.

It is known that this is one of PM Trudeau's biggest personal crises since he became prime minister in 2015. PM Trudeau often emphasizes the importance of family life.