Tragic Details About Justin Trudeau's Wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
There's more to Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, soon-to-be ex-wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, than meets the eye. Before entering the world of politics, Sophie worked as a TV presenter for eTalk, an entertainment show in Canada. The Quebec native married Justin in 2005, and together, the pair have three children. After Justin became prime minister in 2015, Sophie stepped up to the plate and has been incredibly vocal about women's rights and mental health awareness. The latter is especially near and dear to her heart, as Sophie has been open about her struggles with mental health.
The former TV personality has admitted to suffering from an eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, as a teenager. In a 2011 interview with Erica Diamond, Sophie explained, "I honestly don't know when it started and ended. Addictions are biochemical imbalances of the brain, and binging and purging is a sign of a greater emotional wound."
She continued, "Eating was my only way of controlling my life, or so I thought. When you are addicted or suffering from a mental illness, you think you're in complete control. But the opposite is true. You are, in fact, completely out of control." Moreover, Sophie has not shied away from speaking about how her eating disorder affected her life.
If you need help with an eating disorder or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau on how she recuperated from her eating disorder
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau told the Toronto Star she was afraid the news would ruin her entertainment career when she first publicly discussed her eating disorder. However, in the years that have followed, she has used her political platform to open up discussions about eating disorders and mental health.
In 2022, Trudeau posted a throwback photo of herself smiling on Instagram. In the caption, she spoke about her eating disorder and wrote, "No one had shown me how to sit with the pain I was dealing with, and I didn't know I needed help and guidance to better understand the roots of my own suffering." In 2017, she spoke at an event for Canada's Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Per The Daily Mail, Trudeau revealed candid details about her struggle with bulimia and how she felt ashamed by it.
Likewise, she touched on how she was able to overcome the disorder. She said (via Global News), "The moment I started sharing my story, obviously I had begun on my road to recovery. The response and the people who were opening up towards their own struggles to me and to other people around them was the most beautiful gift I've ever received."
Trudeau has also noted that she had support from loved ones, which is very helpful when dealing with an eating disorder. In an interview with Fashion magazine, she revealed that she first sought help after confiding to her mother, Estelle Blais, about her eating disorder. According to the Toronto Star, she also used yoga, meditation, and therapy to heal.
She's received plenty of public backlash in the past
Speaking to the Toronto Star, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has said that she is open about her eating disorder to remove the stigma around the topic. Trudeau reiterated this sentiment in an Instagram video from May 2023, where she encouraged others struggling with mental health to seek help. Moreover, Trudeau is set to release a memoir/ self-help book titled "Closer Together" in April 2024. Despite being praised for her mental health initiatives, Trudeau has not been immune to criticism.
The Guardian reported that Trudeau landed in hot water in 2016 after she said in an interview that she needed extra staffers to help with her responsibilities as the prime minister's wife. Some opposing politicians berated her for this comment, while others said this response was sexist. The Toronto Star newspaper supported Trudeau's comments in an editorial. "The instant, often spiteful reaction from both social media and other politicians who should know better smacks of ignorance about the requirements of the role the prime minister's wife has taken on," it said.
Moreover, Trudeau and her husband, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, were condemned in 2020 when it was revealed that the WE charity, an organization that had been given a government contract, had paid nearly $24,000 for Sophie to make public appearances, per the National Post.
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and Justin Trudeau separated
Although Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and Justin Trudeau have been married since 2005, Sophie told Erica Diamond that she had known Justin since they were kids and revealed that he played hard to get but eventually came around. She disclosed, "We then went for dinner and on our first date, our very first date, he looked into my eyes, and said, "I've been waiting for you 31 years. You're going to be my wife. We're going to have a family together."'
That they did, but in early August 2023, Sophie and Justin dropped shocking news and announced on Instagram that they were separating. In a photo uploaded to his page, Trudeau wrote, "As always, we remain a close family with deep love and respect for each other for everything we have built and will continue to build." Sophie also posted the news on her Instagram in French.
According to The Guardian, the two have made a legal separation agreement. Justin's office released a statement that read, "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."
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has a message for fellow moms
Mme. Grégoire-Trudeau (as the Canadian prime minister's wife is properly addressed) is not only a public figure, she's also a mother. Moreover, her two oldest children, Xavier and Ella-Grace, are teenagers — putting them at particular risk of mental health issues such as eating disorders. Per Johns Hopkins Medicine, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are most commonly seen in patients between the ages of 12 and 25. Sophie wants to get the word out to fellow mothers not only to safeguard their children's mental health, but also their own.
"I think as parents, we have the responsibility to tame our own fears because as adults we have greater tools with experience, one would hope, to deal with our emotions, and then children will feed off that," she told the Toronto Star in 2021. She added that parents have to practice self-care in order to help their kids deal with their overwhelming emotions.
In her sit-down with Erica Diamond, Sophie also offered signs for parents that a child or teen may have an eating disorder. Among them: eating alone; preoccupation with food or weight; excessive exercising; withdrawal from friends and social activities; hair loss; bloodshot eyes or tooth decay from vomiting. "The most important thing if you suspect an eating disorder, is to have the awkward conversation instead of remaining in silence," Sophie stressed. "Move past the fact that it may be uncomfortable, and have that conversation. Those awkward moments could save a life."
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is losing more than just her marriage
Now that the Trudeaus have called it quits (or, as they say in Montréal, le mariage des Trudeau est terminé), Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has to rebuild herself as a private citizen. As CTV News pointed out, she will no longer represent the Canadian government in any capacity. She'll also lose out on the privileges she formerly enjoyed as the prime minister's wife, such as attending important international conferences and high-profile events. She and Justin joined the many mourners at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022 and returned to London eight months later to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. And while the prime minister will continue to host honored visitors to his residence — the Trudeaus welcomed Joe and Jill Biden in March 2023 — Sophie will be left out of the loop.
The timing of the split is also regrettable from a PR viewpoint. Just a few months earlier, Sophie had announced the upcoming publication of her new book, "Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other." Dropping in April 2024, the self-help tome is described as "a deeply personal journey toward self-knowledge, acceptance, and empowerment." Now it remains to be seen whether Sophie will do any last-minute revisions to reflect recent events, as Prince Harry did for his memoir, "Spare," following the death of the queen. The book's title may also come off as ironic in the wake of a marriage that has apparently lost much of its loving feeling.