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Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, wife announce separation
The outlet CBC cited a statement from the prime minister’s office (PMO) that Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire have signed a legal separation agreement
Toronto: In a sudden announcement on Wednesday morning, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife of 18 years, Sophie Gregoire, said that they are separating.
The couple issued similar public statements in this regard, both posted on Instagram. The statement said they “would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate”.
Married in May 2005 in Montreal, they have three children, 14-year-old, Ella-Grace, Xavier, 15, and their youngest Hadrien, who is nine.
The CBC News cited a statement from the prime minister’s office (PMO) that they 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,” the separate Instagram posts from them said.
It added, “For the well-being of our children, we ask that you respect our and their privacy.”
The announcement came as a surprise as there had been no reports or even rumours about a rift in the relationship of the Trudeaus.
The statement from the PMO, quoted by CBC added, “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 Gregoire Trudeau had visited India in February 2018, along with the Canadian PM, who was on a 11-day official trip to the country.
According to the outlet Globe and Mail, Trudeau, 51, met Sophie Gregoire, 48, a former entertainment journalist, in 2003.
“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,” the PMO also said in its statement on the matter.
The PM’s father Pierre Elliot Trudeau had divorced his mother Margaret Trudeau in 1984, after announcing their separation seven years earlier.
