A video showing an awkward kiss between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, has recirculated after the couple announced their separation.
In the clip, his wife is seen quickly turning away from Trudeau after he gives her a kiss at a press event.
"It was obvious for a few years now she can't stand him," Twitter user @KirkLubimov captioned the video, which has been viewed more than 10.5K times since it was posted after the news of the separation broke.
Trudeau announced on Wednesday that he and his wife were separating after 18 years of marriage.
"Hi everyone, Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate," Trudeau said in an Instagram post. "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."
"For the well-being of our children, we ask that you respect our and their privacy. Thank you."
The two share three children—two sons, ages 15 and 9, and a 14-year-old daughter.
The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that the couple "signed a legal separation agreement" in a separate release.
Justin Trudeau & Sophie Gregoire are separating.
— Kirk Lubimov (@KirkLubimov) August 2, 2023
It was obvious for a few years now she can't stand him. Another video has her telling him to be humble.
This is just another another step in his downfall.
Don't let this news distract you from the important issues Canada facing. pic.twitter.com/7PCvNEqxMl
Grégoire, a former television presenter from Quebec, has been a prominent presence during Trudeau's political career, although she has played a less visible role in recent years. The couple met as children when Grégoire was a classmate of Trudeau's younger brother, Michel, and reconnected as adults at a charity gala in 2003. They were married in May 2005.
The family originally lived in Montreal but moved to Ottawa in 2010, two years after Trudeau was elected as a member of parliament. He was elected as the leader of the Liberal Party in 2013 and as prime minister in 2015. He was reelected in 2019.
Trudeau is the second prime minister to announce a separation while in office. The first was his father, Pierre Trudeau, who separated from his wife, Margaret, in 1979. They divorced in 1984. His father, also a member of the Liberal Party, served as prime minister from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984.
In an Instagram post last year, Grégoire reflected on the "sunny days, heavy storms, and everything in between" that she and her husband had navigated together over 17 years of marriage.
"You all know I keep things honest: long-term relationships are challenging in so many ways," she wrote. "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."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. ... Read more
