Justin Trudeau, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau separation likely won't impact prime minister's image
"It’s not as if Sophie has been a huge factor in his public appearances," historian and professor Robert Bothwell said
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau made a shocking announcement on Wednesday that they have decided to separate.
After a memorable 18-year marriage, the prime minister took to Instagram to share a statement about the couple's decision, including asking for privacy for himself and his children.
“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 statement reads, which was also post on Grégoire Trudeau's Instagram page.
“For the well-being of our children, we ask that you respect our and their privacy. Thank you.”
The couple have three children, 15-year-old Xavier, 14-year-old Ella-Grace and nine-year-old Hadrien.
'She wasn’t all that prominent a figure'
With the unexpected separation from his wife, many Canadians are left wondering if the separation will impact the prime minister's image.
Historian and professor at the University of Toronto, Robert Bothwell, indicated that as of now, the separation won’t help Trudeau image, but nor will it hurt him.
“It’s not as if Sophie has been a huge factor in his public appearances, she wasn’t all that prominent a figure,” Bothwell said.
“I really don’t think it’d be much impact on Liberal party faithfuls or the politicians around him, and I’d be really doubtful if it had much impact on the general public. She’s just not that prominent a figure.”
Throughout Canada’s history, Trudeau is the second prime minister to announce a separation while in office, following his father.
As Bothwell recalls, Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s image actually improved following his separation from Margaret Trudeau. The couple announced their separation in 1977 and filed for divorce in 1983.
“I remember being at a Liberal convention and polls were done around '78 or '79, and somebody said, you really won’t believe this, but his popularity has gone up since the split," he said.
While details around the current prime minister's separation remain unknown at the moment, the public's reaction is unmistakably visible, judging by the thousands of comments flooding Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau's Instagram pages.
