Ex-wife of Justin Trudeau, current Prime Minister of Canada, was on Tout le monde en parle in Quebec to talk about her new book.
Why is she launching a book at this stage?
“Our own story, it’s never enough”, she says to Guy A. Lepage, a rather vague answer, but Sophie Grégoire Trudeau was only at the beginning of an interview that was to prove particularly interesting.
Guy A. Lepage goes on to discuss the fact that the former Canadian First Lady still uses her married name despite her separation.
So why does she call herself Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau when she’s leaving Justin Trudeau?
“People don’t know me as Sophie or Sophie Grégoire. I want people to be able to have access to the book,” she explains, with an honesty that deserves to be commended.
The host then looks back on her famous interview (and photo shoot) with Vogue magazine, in the wake of her separation – a great way to broach the subject, by the way.
The stated aim of Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's new memoir "Closer Together," aims to guide readers toward “self-knowledge, acceptance, and empowerment.” https://t.co/u34t92JO9T
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) March 18, 2024
“How difficult is it to live publicly something that is very private?” asks Guy A. Lepage.
“I’ve never perceived my life (…) for me, fame is an illusion, it’s a wind of confusion, I don’t believe in it. It’s a mental construct (…)”, she says, adding later in the interview:
“It’s very difficult to understand when you haven’t been in that position.”
Later, a question from comedian Philippe-Audrey Larrue-St-Jacques revived the interview, as he raised the possibility that a head of state’s divorce could have an impact on foreign policy.
“I’m not divorced, I’m separated,” Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau began, setting the record straight, before assuring him that “nobody came to talk to her about it that way”.
It’s from this point on that Sophie Grégoire’s presence takes a very interesting, even socially relevant turn.
“We’re going to have to redefine in our society our relational maturity, in the sense that we have two words in our vocabulary (…) marriage means success, separation, divorce, means failure,” she explains.
“Are you on good terms with Justin Trudeau?” one person asks the former canadian first lady.
“Of course we are! You can restructure a relationship, then change it, without killing it, or forgetting it, while preserving the history, the beauty that united two beings (…) It’s a priority I’m making of it, I’m going to put effort into it. My children feed on this energy, and I think it’s super important,” Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau replies with aplomb.
“If we could do that in more families, there’d be fewer children suffering too,” she adds.
Then, when asked if she’s worried that her separation might have a psychological impact on her own children, she replies:
“I’m not worried that this decision will have an impact on their emotional heritage. I’m concerned and worried as a mom. They feed off the energy around them.”
Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau therefore believes that it is “all the more important for us to live in our truth, to face our traumas, to deal with them, precisely in order to leave a conscious and mature legacy (…)”.
While Grégoire Trudeau appeared to be in complete control of her situation, she teared up when the host talked about Justin Trudeau’s interview on the same set a few weeks earlier, in which he confirmed that he wanted to continue in politics despite the consequences – including, as we understand it, his own separation.
“I think that when you love someone deeply (…) you have to create a space of freedom for their own achievements, even if it doesn’t suit you (…) choose authenticity over attachment,” Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau begins, before adding:
“Everyone is afraid of being abandoned in life, in one way or another, we need the connection (…) no matter what you’re going through in your life (…) the risk of trusting yourself or life is worth the whole game in its entirety.”
An inspired and honest interview from Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, who, at least for those who can read between the lines, can’t be accused of being dishonest during this interview.
