Sophie Grégoire Trudeau opens up on life after politics

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau said she never saw her former partner, Justin Trudeau, as a prime minister, comments from a recent podcast interview that have drawn wide coverage and a surge of searches in Canada.

“I knew it was his job, but come on,” Grégoire Trudeau told Talia Bronfman and Jessica Green, the hosts of the Canadian podcast Built For This, the National Post reported. She said that to her, he was her partner rather than “a prime minister.”

The nearly hour-long episode was posted Oct. 10, World Mental Health Day, and focused largely on her debut self-help book, Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other, the Post reported. Toronto Life also reported on the interview, describing a conversation in which she became emotional at times.

Grégoire Trudeau spoke bluntly about the pressures of public life. She said many people “still think politics is like glamorous and it’s champagne,” according to the Post. Asked whether she would encourage people to go into public service, she said: “If you don’t have little kids, yes.”

She said keeping things calm for her children, and keeping them safe, was her “main work.” She described her recent move back to Montreal as mostly “melancholy” and said coming home to an empty house as a separated mother is still hard to get used to.

She mentioned Justin Trudeau only a few times in the conversation, which was recorded in Montreal, the Post reported. She also said a children’s book on emotional literacy is set to be published in 2027.

Grégoire Trudeau and Justin Trudeau announced their separation in August 2023 after 18 years of marriage. They have three children. The former prime minister has been in a public relationship with singer Katy Perry since 2025; the couple appeared together at the World Economic Forum in January.

Grégoire Trudeau is a longtime mental health advocate and was the first national volunteer for the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Post noted. Interest in her rose again on the weekend after she marked her son Xavier’s 19th birthday in an Instagram post, Quebec entertainment outlet Hollywood PQ reported.

Anyone struggling with their mental health can call or text 9-8-8 at any hour. Our explainer covers how Canada’s 9-8-8 crisis helpline works.

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Via National Post and Toronto Life.