Sophie Trudeau has spoken with striking candour about her experience of coping with her ex-husband Justin Trudeau's highly publicised new relationship with pop superstar Katy Perry.
The 50-year-old television host shared her personal approach during a conversation with Canadian businesswoman Arlene Dickinson on the podcast Arlene Is Alone: The Single Life. Sophie and Justin, now 53, ended their 18-year marriage in August 2023.
Navigating Public Scrutiny and Personal Triggers
During the wide-ranging discussion, which touched on topics from motherhood to mental health, Sophie explained that living under constant public scrutiny presents many emotional 'triggers'. She revealed her personal mantra for dealing with this pressure is to 'listen to the music, not the noise.'
When Dickinson steered the conversation more directly towards Justin's new romance with the 41-year-old singer, she expressed admiration for Sophie's composure, stating, 'I don't know how you stay cool… I really admire it because I would probably not be that way.'
Sophie's response was profoundly human. 'We're human beings and stuff affects us. That's normal,' she stated. She emphasised that while emotions are inevitable, our reactions are a choice, adding, 'How you react to stuff is your decision... The woman I want to become through this is my decision.'
The Importance of Feeling Emotions
Sophie was quick to clarify that this philosophical approach does not mean she is devoid of feeling. 'Does it mean that I don't have emotions? That I don't cry, scream, laugh? No. Especially that I'm a super tender heart,' she shared.
She elaborated on her process, explaining the critical gap between experiencing an emotion and choosing a reaction. 'But it's my decision after that between the emotion and the reaction. I let myself feel,' she said. 'I'll let myself be disappointed by someone. I'll let myself be angry, be sad.'
As a dedicated mental health advocate, she stressed the importance of this, stating, 'I know for a fact how important it is as a mental health advocate to feel those emotions.' She warned that failing to step back from an immediate reactive state means you will 'suffer the consequences,' including skyrocketing stress levels and becoming increasingly judgmental.
A Unified Front in Co-Parenting
Elsewhere in the podcast, Sophie detailed how she and the former Prime Minister have successfully navigated their new relationship as co-parents to their three children: Xavier, 18, Ella-Grace, 16, and Hadrien, 11.
She was emphatic that she does not consider herself a single mother, praising Justin's involvement. 'I'm definitely not a single mom. I have a partnership with a father who has such deep love and availability to his children,' she shared.
Their commitment to a united family front is clear. 'We call each other up. We'll text each other… We will really try to build cohesion, so that the kids feel that cohesion,' Sophie explained. 'We have separate lives, but we have one family life.'
The news of Justin Trudeau's romance with Katy Perry was confirmed earlier this month when the Firework singer shut down a fan's marriage proposal during a concert, indicating she was no longer available. Katy, who shares a five-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom, with actor Orlando Bloom, was previously married to comedian Russell Brand.
