Red Flags In Justin And Sophie Trudeau's Relationship That Hinted They'd Never Last

On August 2, 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau announced they are calling it quits. They took to Instagram to announce their separation. The statement, which they both shared in English and French, said, " ... after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate. 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." The statement ended by asking for privacy for the couple and their three children.

Justin's office released a statement as well, saying that the exes signed a separation agreement and that, "They remain a close family and Sophie and the Prime Minister are focused on raising their kids in a safe, loving and collaborative environment. Both parents will be a constant presence in their children's lives and Canadians can expect to often see the family together. The family will be together on vacation, beginning next week" (via CBC News).

Justin and Sophie had been married since 2005, but throughout their relationship, red flags may have hinted that the couple would not last. Of course, sometimes hindsight is 20/20.

In 2014, one year after Justin Trudeau was elected the Liberal Party leader and one year before he became the prime minister of Canada, Justin was interviewed on "Power & Politics." He spoke with Evan Solomon about his memoir, "Common Ground," and shared how his job made it hard for a work-life balance. He added that Sophie Grégoire Trudeau did not like his job, saying, "There are times when she hates my job and she hates me for loving my job" (via CBC News). Justin clarified that there were other times when Sophie understood the importance of his job and did not hate it, but it's quite possible that his political career put a strain on their relationship.

Justin continued to say how their marriage was not always easy and had its issues like any marriage, but that he and Sophie, " ... are deeply in love and committed to each other and we continue to be."

In a CTV News interview with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau in 2015, shortly before Justin Trudeau became prime minister, she was asked what it would be like for their family if Justin did get elected. She did not think they would have much of a problem with media encroaching on the family's private lives, as opposed to what American politicians and their families face.

"We tell them things around us will change, but inside we'll still be the same people," Sophie said, when questioned how she and Justin explain to the kids what their lives would look like if Justin won. "And we'll still cuddle in bed on a Saturday morning when it's possible and just be real, and authentic, and grounded. ... I think we're great partners to be able to keep that."

Sophie added that the strain politics puts on a relationship is not a big concern for her, because, " ... honesty and communication in a couple is key, and we have that." Now that they are separating, it is possible that the pressure of Justin's political career became too much, despite their solid foundation.

In 2021, Justin Trudeau was interviewed on "La Semaine Des 4 Julie." He spoke about how when he met Sophie Grégoire Trudeau as an adult — the duo also knew each other as children — Justin had to get his life sorted out a bit before he could get serious about their relationship.

Justin said, "Let's just say we were both in a bit of a complicated phase in our personal lives. As soon as I met Sophie, I knew it was something serious with a lot of potential. ... I had to fix a few things in my life before I could just focus on her" (via Narcity).

This was not officially confirmed, but when questioned about it, Justin implied that he may have had to end a prior relationship before moving forward with Sophie. He also admitted to not replying to an email Sophie sent him after they met in 2003, which could support the theory that he had been seeing someone else at the time. They happened to see each other a few weeks later, but Sophie refused to give Justin her phone number, asking him to email instead.

One of Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's June 2023 Instagram posts featuring Justin Trudeau may have hinted at trouble in paradise. This would not be the first time, because her wedding anniversary post from 2022 mentioned the difficulties they faced as a couple in the caption. Sophie shared a snapshot of photos of her and Justin as kids. The caption said, "You all know I keep things honest: Long-term relationships are challenging in so many ways. They demand constant work, flexibility, compromise, sacrifice, devotion, patience, effort, and so much more. None of us are perfect and so there is no perfect relationship, but love is only true when it keeps you safe, sets you free, and makes you grow." She then added "Love conquers all" in Latin. 

However, Sophie did not share anything on Instagram for their 2023 wedding anniversary, while Justin did, sharing a road trip photo of the two of them with the caption, "Every mile of this journey together is an adventure. I love you, Soph. Happy anniversary!" 

Another red flag in Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and Justin Trudeau's relationship is that she was not attending as many events and trips with Justin as she used to. For example, in July 2023 she did not attend the dinner for politicians and their spouses at the NATO summit nor was she in attendance when Justin announced the changes he was making to his Cabinet. However, Sophie joined Justin for King Charles III's coronation in May 2023 and attended Canada Day events with him in July 2023. 

Political science professor Nelson Wiseman discussed with The New York Times how Sophie's public appearances with Justin had gone down as of late. But Wiseman did not think the separation will affect Justin's political career or image. He told the outlet, "Canadian voters don't care about that. Once upon a time, they did. But the culture and times have changed."

The official statement on their separation implies that Justin and Sophie will still work together as co-parents. The Associated Press reported that an anonymous official said Justin will stay at his residence Rideau Cottage, and their children will stay there as well. Sophie will be living in Ottawa but will visit the Rideau Cottage to be with her children and will stay there when Justin travels.