Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau & Wife Sophie Separate After 18 Years of Marriage

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau are going their separate ways.

Trudeau announced the news on Instagram, “Hi everyone. Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate.”

He continued, “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 51-year-old closed with, “For the well-being of our children, we ask that you respect our and their privacy. Thank you.

Justin and Sophie are the parents of three kids: Xavier, 15, Ella-Grace, 14, and Hadrien, 9.

Alison Murphy, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, confirmed to CTV News that the couple has “signed a legal separation agreement.”

Murphy added, “They have worked to ensure that all legal and ethical steps with regards to their decision to separate have been taken, and will continue to do so moving forward.”

The couple is now "focused on raising their kids in a safe, loving and collaborative environment.”

Murphy explained that the public should not be surprised to see the family together often, adding, "They plan to be together on vacation, beginning next week."

Justin and Sophie both grew up in Montreal, and she was a childhood friend of his brother. They reconnected years later, in 2003, while co-hosting a charity ball, and eventually started dating.