‘Not what I imagined’: Sophie Grégoire got personal about being single on Valentine’s Day

Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry once again made headlines over the weekend after being spotted sharing a kiss at what appeared to be a Valentine’s Day dinner.

But the former Canadian prime minister’s ex-wife was in a very different place during the most romantic day of the year.

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau took to Instagram on Valentine’s Day to share a reflective post about navigating life as a newly single woman. Alongside a throwback photo from her early twenties, she opened up about how much has changed since she and Justin announced their separation in 2023 after 18 years of marriage.

“I giggle when I look at this old pic of me in my early twenties…I wonder how I felt in that moment…I recognize the tender Sophie who loves to love and be loved!” she wrote in the caption. “Being single at 50 is not what I had imagined, but more than ever, I’m in love with life and will keep the wonder and the faith alive! Happy Valentine’s Day! Life is full of love, and I still believe!”

It’s not the first time Sophie has addressed her new reality since Justin went public with Perry. Back in November, during an interview on the “Arlene Is Alone” podcast, the Montreal native spoke candidly about processing her ex-husband’s high-profile relationship.

“We’re all human beings and stuff affects us, [but] how you react to stuff is your decision,” she told host Arlene Dickinson. “The woman I want to become through this is my decision. Does it mean that I don’t have emotions, that I don’t cry, scream, laugh? No.”

Over the past few years, the 50-year-old media personality and former eTalk correspondent has built a career focused on women’s issues and mental health advocacy. She’s been open about her own struggles, including her recovery from bulimia in her early twenties, and now works as a public speaker and certified yoga instructor while remaining involved in numerous charitable causes.

Meanwhile, Trudeau and Perry’s relationship has been moving at full speed. The pair first sparked rumours last July when they were photographed dining at Le Violon in Montreal’s Plateau, followed by cocktails at a local bar that same night. Days later, Trudeau brought his daughter to Perry’s Bell Centre concert. By October, photos emerged of them kissing on Perry’s yacht in California, and in November, Trudeau attended her birthday party.

Most recently, Trudeau purchased a $4.26 million mansion in Outremont, and the couple has been spotted around Montreal multiple times — including last week at Leméac, where a diner tried (and failed) to get a photo with them during their “private moment.”

But despite cutting their romantic ties, Grégoire Trudeau says that while she and Justin now lead “separate lives,” they still share “one family life” with their three children — Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien.