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Sophie Grégoire Trudeau says being 'uncoupled at 50' doesn't 'feel amazing'
Ahead of Valentine’s Day, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau shared a personal message with fans and followers about being “uncoupled at 50” and adjusting to the challenges of “midlife singlehood.”
“Fine. I’ll admit it. On the surface, being ‘uncoupled’ at 50 on Valentine’s Day doesn’t make me feel amazing,” she wrote in a newsletter distributed on Saturday.
Uncoupling, often referred to as conscious uncoupling, is the amiable and respectful end of a romantic relationship or marriage, as opposed to one that is chaotic and bitter, according to the Center for Integrative Change . The term was popularized in 2014 when actor Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin announced their uncoupling after 11 years of marriage.
Grégoire Trudeau, of course, separated from former prime Minister Justin Trudeau, her husband of 18 years and father of their three children (Xavier, 18, Ella-Grace, 16, Hadrien, 11) in August of 2023. There has been no public announcement regarding a legal divorce.
In her missive, Grégoire Trudeau, who celebrated her 50th birthday last April, remarked that February, a month in which reminders of love and romance are ubiquitous, “can feel especially loud” for single people in midlife.
She advised readers to look beyond the spectacle, even if it’s hard.
“Midlife singlehood isn’t a failure. Often, it’s a recalibration — a moment where the noise quiets enough for us to hear our own voice again.
This Valentine’s Day will be the third since her separation went public.
When the split from Trudeau was announced, reports emerged and were later confirmed that she’d already been romantically involved with Ottawa pediatric surgeon, Dr. Marcos Bettolli, possibly since before her separation became public.
In a divorce petition, Betolli’s ex-wife, Ana Remonda, alleged he had “re-partnered with a high-profile individual who attracts significant media attention, and presents significant security considerations.”
Grégoire Trudeau added in her message that men and women are conditioned — “sometimes gently, sometimes harshly” — to adjust ourselves to find acceptance. In doing so, the self-help author and mental health advocate said many end up operating in a state of emotional “vigilance instead of ease.”
She went on to say that self-love begins with recognizing the barriers and behaviours created by the conditioning to unlearn them and change emotional habits.
“Self-love is a practice. At its core, it’s safety. And safety comes from presence,” she wrote.
While Grégoire Trudeay may mark Valentine’s Day single, her former spouse is not.
Trudeau is dating U.S. pop star Katy Perry, a relationship rumoured to have started in Montreal last summer and was confirmed just before Christmas when the two became “Instagram official” on the latter’s account. Neither has spoken publicly about their relationship.
When that relationship was still just rumour backed up by reported sightings, Grégoire Trudeau was asked about it during an interview on Canadian businesswoman Arlene Dickinson’s YouTube show. She admitted “stuff affects us” but she chooses not to stay triggered.
“How you react to stuff is your decision,” she said. “The woman I want to become through this is my decision.”
In another interview with Yahoo Canada , she said there’s a distinction between what’s “said in the media” and her actual life.
“If I decide to let that define me, I lose myself,” she said. “This is true for me or for every human being on the planet. If you let the outside world define you, you won’t have the sacredness of knowing who you are.”
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