Sophie Grégoire Trudeau opens up about singlehood at 50 in Valentine’s Day newsletter

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, attends a cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall on November 20, 2019 in Ottawa, Canada. - Trudeau unveiled an inward-looking cabinet Wednesday. (Photo by Chris Wattie / AFP) (Photo by CHRIS WATTIE/AFP via Getty Images)

In a candid newsletter to her readers ahead of Valentine’s Day, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau acknowledged the challenges of being “uncoupled at 50.”

Grégoire Trudeau described the holiday’s romantic messaging as “especially loud” for those navigating “midlife singlehood.”

Writing in a newsletter obtained by CTV News, the mental health advocate said that while the experience doesn’t “feel amazing” on the surface, it can be a moment of “recalibration” and opportunity to reconnect with one’s inner voice.

Grégoire Trudeau, 50, was married to former prime minister Justin Trudeau for 18 years before the couple announced their separation in August 2023. They have three children: Xavier, Ella-Grace and Hadrien.

In her newsletter, she encouraged readers to not treat singlehood as a failure.

“For millions of women (and men!) the answer hasn’t always been simple. We’ve been taught — sometimes gently, sometimes harshly — that our bodies, our emotions, our authenticity need adjusting to be accepted," she said.

“When we spend years reshaping ourselves to fit in, our nervous system learns vigilance instead of ease.”

“In many ways, self-love is being aware of our defence mechanisms and adaptive behaviours,” she added. “It’s about unlearning them and choosing to change some of our emotional habits. Self-love is a practice.”

Appearing on the Arlene is Alone podcast in November, Grégoire Trudeau reflected on her current relationship with Justin Trudeau, emphasizing that despite their separation, they remain connected as co-parents.

“I’m definitely not a single mom,” she said in her conversation with Canadian author and TV personality Arlene Dickinson. “I have a partnership with a father who has such deep love and availability to his children.”

Since stepping down as leader of the Liberal party, Trudeau, 54, has been publicly linked with U.S. singer Katy Perry. The pair were first seen together in Montreal and since then on other occasions, including a recent appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.