Washington DC [US], November 17 : Sophie Gregoire, the estranged wife of former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has spoken publicly about coping with her ex-husband's new relationship with pop star Katy Perry. Gregoire shared her thoughts during an appearance on the "Arlene Is Alone" podcast, as reported by People.
Gregoire described it as "normal" to feel affected when an ex-partner starts dating someone new. Addressing the publicity surrounding Trudeau and Perry's relationship, she said, "We're human beings and stuff affects us. Normal. How you react to stuff is your decision. So I choose to try to listen to the music instead of the noise."
She emphasised the importance of managing emotional responses. "Does that mean I don't have emotions? That I don't cry, scream, laugh? No. Especially that I'm a super tender heart, right? But it's my decision after that, between the emotion and the reaction," she added.
Her comments follow Trudeau,and Perry making their first public appearance as a couple on October 25 in Paris for Perry's birthday. The couple was first spotted together in July during a walk with their dogs in Canada.
Gregoire, who announced her separation from Trudeau after 18 years of marriage in 2023, stressed the importance of allowing herself to feel her emotions while avoiding "reactive mode." "I'll let myself be disappointed by someone, I'll let myself be angry, be sad. And I know for a fact how important it is, as a mental health advocate, to feel those emotions," she said, according to People.
She further added, "You can stay in that reactive mode, but you'll suffer the consequences. I'm also learning at 50 that people will meet life as where they are inside of them ... it's your choice to see that and be like, 'How am I going to let that affect my happiness?'"
Gregoire highlighted that she and Trudeau remain committed to co-parenting their three children, Xavier, 18, Ella-Grace, 16, and Hadrien, 11. "We have separate lives, but we have one family life. You need a common, conscious decision that our family is our greatest creation and we're going to feed it together, no matter if we're on different life paths," she said, as quoted by People.