Last August, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire announced their separation. They are still in the process of their divorce, and the biggest scandal might involve Sophie and not Justin Trudeau. Reportedly, Sophie might have been the one screwing around, and it was reported in Canadian outlets that she began seeing an Argentinian doctor before her split with Justin was announced. After the split, she moved out of the prime minister’s government home. She and Justin split custody of their three kids and everything is going smoothly. That’s a big part of Sophie’s new interview in the Times of London. She’s doing a “post-split” interview, but she’s also promoting her new book, Closer Together. It’s part memoir, part-self-help book, apparently. Sophie chatted with the Times about Justin, her kids, how much she loves Michelle Obama and more. Of course, the British media is making a big deal over Sophie’s refusal to be drawn into their obsession with all things Meghan Markle. Meghan is friendly with the Trudeaus, and Sophie appeared on Meghan’s Archetypes podcast. Some highlights from the Times:
Her split from Justin Trudeau: “You used the word break-up, right? I don’t feel that way. [Conscious uncoupling is] the only expression that exists that’s close enough. I wish I could come up with a new, a new… We don’t have to dramatise, end abruptly, break relationships in order to restructure our lives and our minds. And something changed, yes, something broke; I am not sure that’s how I mean it.”
She & Justin get along just fine: “You know, in some ways it’s boring for some people because we’ve always been truthful to each other. We don’t hold secrets. That’s not the dynamic we have. And let me be honest: in some ways I’m very proud of how we — not how the world thinks of us — how we navigate this. When we’re together and we look at each other, that’s what counts.”
Life outside the prime-minister bubble: She cheerfully explains that while she no longer has a protection detail nor governmental duties, her life hasn’t really changed that much since the separation. She lives in a “little” flat not far from the current prime ministerial residence, the 22-room Rideau Cottage. Her and Trudeau’s three children — Xavier, 16, Ella-Grace, 15, and Hadrien, 10 — come and go between the two houses at will. She and Trudeau seem to be very close. “We are still all hanging out together: we love each other, we spend time together. It’s organic — you know, the kids all sleeping together one night, that’s fine. And I have a little space for me and sometimes the kids come there, and we’re just so close to each other that we do it organically. And it feels good, it feels natural. It doesn’t feel forced. It feels heartwarming.”
Back to work: Now, for the first time since quitting her job as a TV journalist when her children were young, she is going back to work — hosting yoga retreats, continuing her mental health activism and promoting her book.
On the Duchess of Sussex: When I bring up Meghan Markle, who did an interview with Grégoire Trudeau on her podcast where she gushed about a day spent hanging out at the pool with her and her children, where they got “giddy like absolute schoolgirls”, she does not gush back. “I know her,” she says, before adding that they haven’t spent much time together, and telling me how terrible she feels for Kate Middleton after her cancer diagnosis (“my heart just sunk when I saw what was happening”).
Her new boyfriend? Trudeau Junior’s split is playing out under a stronger spotlight. Everyone I speak to in Ottawa has an opinion on it, particularly on the rumours that Grégoire Trudeau had started dating the aforementioned surgeon some time before the split was announced. In February she was pictured going out for dinner with Marcos Bettolli, an Argentinian paediatrician, and her children. His ex-wife claimed in divorce papers filed last spring that Betolli had “repartnered” with a “high-profile individual”, named by Canada’s National Post as Grégoire Trudeau.
Re: Sophie and Marcos Bettolli… from the way she’s talking about her split with Trudeau, I get the impression that she was the one who wanted a divorce, and that there were many months of loose separation before their announcement. But yeah, it also sounds like she was cheating and she left her husband for this doctor.
As for her comments about Meghan… my guess is that all of Meghan’s friends and family know that they cannot engage in any way with a British journalist whatsoever. This interviewer was desperate to bring the conversation around to Meghan – Sophie just shut it down.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.
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- Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau,Image: 724195164, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Adam Gerrard / Avalon
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- Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire arrive at the Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom, on 06 May 2023.,Image: 774208119, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Peter Tarry / Avalon
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- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada at the Coronation of King Charles III in London Westminster Abbey 06 May 2023,Image: 774237970, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Mark Stewart / Avalon
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- North America Rights Only – Rome, Italy – 05/29/17 – Prime Minster Justin Trudeau Meets Pope Francis at The Vatican -PICTURED: Sophie Gregoire Trudeau -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Editorial Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.INSTARimages.com for licensing fee and rights: North America Inquiries: email sales@instarimages.com or call 212.414.0207 – UK Inquiries: email ben@instarimages.com or call + 7715 698 715 – Australia Inquiries: email sarah@instarimages.com.au Êor call +02 9660 0500 Ð for any other Country, please email sales@instarimages.com. ÊImage or video may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene / Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have – http://www.INSTARimages.com reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or video. If you are in violation of our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or video, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damage. Featuring: Sophie Gregoire Trudeau Where: Rome, Italy, Italy When: 29 May 2017 Credit: INSTARimages.com **North America Rights Only**
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- USA Rights Only – Ottawa, Canada – 7/1/2017 -The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall during their visit at Reconciliation, the Peacekeeping Monument, near the ByWard Market in Ottawa, during day three of their visit to Canada. -PICTURED: Justin Trudeau, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau with kids, Prince Charles, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall -PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.com -Instar_British_Royals_Canada_0730660731.JPG Editorial Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.INSTARimages.com for licensing fee and rights: North America Inquiries: email sales@instarimages.com or call 212.414.0207 – UK Inquiries: email ben@instarimages.com or call + 7715 698 715 – Australia Inquiries: email sarah@instarimages.com.au Êor call +02 9660 0500 Ð for any other Country, please email sales@instarimages.com. ÊImage or video may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene / Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have – http://www.INSTARimages.com reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or video. If you are in violation of our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or video, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damage. Featuring: Justin Trudeau, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau with kids, Prince Charles, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall Where: Ottawa, Canada, Canada When: 01 Jul 2017 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com **USA Rights Only**
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- USA Rights Only, Hamburg, Germany – 7/7/2017 -7/7/17-Arrivals for the concert at the Elbphilharmonie during the G20 Summit in Hamburg -PICTURED: Justin Trudeau, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau -PHOTO by: Matthias Rohe/DDP/INSTARimages.com Editorial Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.INSTARimages.com for licensing fee and rights: North America Inquiries: email sales@instarimages.com or call 212.414.0207 – UK Inquiries: email ben@instarimages.com or call + 7715 698 715 – Australia Inquiries: email sarah@instarimages.com.au Êor call +02 9660 0500 Ð for any other Country, please email sales@instarimages.com. ÊImage or video may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene / Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have – http://www.INSTARimages.com reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or video. If you are in violation of our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or video, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damage. Featuring: Justin Trudeau, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau Where: Hamburg, Germany, Germany When: 07 Jul 2017 Credit: Matthias Rohe/DDP/INSTARimages.com **USA Rights Only**
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- State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, held at Westminster Abbey, London. Featuring: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Trudeau Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 19 Sep 2022 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Trudeau arriving ahead of the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, central London. Featuring: Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Trudeau Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
She could’ve disengaged in a nicer way. This feels as if she didn’t want to be associated with her. She knows the game and she knows how to talk, let’s not infantilizer her or add goodwill where we want to see it.
I agree.
And her immediate pivot expressing sympathy and understanding on Kate Middleton – when only asked about Meghan – was shady as fook.😒
But we don’t really know the whole conversation. Just what the reporter chose to put in and how the reporter chose to phrase it.
That’s gives lot of power to the reporter, and absolutely no responsibility to Gregoire – a person who has been in the public eye for over 2 decades.
Sophie knows how the game is played and her Mariah Carey-esque response about Meghan could have been framed better, before she proceeded to gush about Kate.
I’m a Times subscriber and read the interview.
There and then it read like she wanted to distance all Meghan association and pledge allegiance to the future Queen.
Considering how warm Meghan has been about Sophie Gregoire and their long time association, Meghan deserved better.
Partly the point. However familiar someone is with “the game”, the reporter still has a lot of power to interpret and put their own spin on things by saying “she didn’t gush” and by quoting only what she wants to and not giving the entire conversation.
It has been confirmed that there is an open agenda in the UK to never report positively on the Sussexes so the half ass “I know her” is poorly written and we don’t even know the context or the question.
None of the media in the UK can be assumed to be neutral when it comes to covering Meghan. Even the Murdoch owned Times.
It gives a lot of power to the reporter because the reporter is the one paraphrasing and editorializing, so they are indeed the one with power. It’s not an opinion, that’s just fact. Do you honestly think, no matter what Sophie said, the British reporter would not frame it in the worst way possible for Meghan???
First, we all know that Meghan’s friends cut short questions by reporters when ask about her. They do not engage. Second, you don’t know if Sophie’s words as paraphrased by the reporter were the product of prompts from the reporter (who likely asked how well they knew each other and then asked about Khate). Any reporter who wants to paint a certain picture about Meghan isn’t going to put in “they pivoted to Khate because I asked about her,” they’ll just say “oh and then they pivoted.”
I suspect rather that the placement of the Kate statement was an editorial decision, to try and mitigate anything positive that might be said about Meghan.
How many things did they cut out to keep only “I know her” and how many things did they discuss before bringing up Kkkhate? They probably erased all of that, to put those 2 comments next to each other so we could interpret this as shade towards meghan. Sophie is probably also close with the ex prime minister brian mulroney’s family and meg is/was close to jessica mulroney. I think she knew she had to refrain.
Yall are being ridiculous. Saying that your heart sank when you found out a woman close in age to you who also has 3 young kids has CANCER is not gushing. It’s a normal human response that I also had and I can’t stand that British Karen. It’s crazy that after 8 years of dealing with how the British media makes up and exaggerates stories about the Sussexes that you would take a quick snippet from this interview with a Murdoch publication and interpret in EXACTLY the way you should know they want you to take it even though it includes a very obvious lie: anyone who listened to that Archetypes episode knows it wasnt just Meghan gushing- they both had a great time talking about their kids spending time together and Meghan has been close to Sophie for over a decade and there are pictures of them together spanninng multiple years
Slow clap, @Chelsea.
Thank you, ma’am!
What you said.
Thank you Chelsea.
People seem to forget the most powerful editorial tool in a publication’s arsenal is simply choosing which bits of info out of the vast infoverse to publish. The Times chose not to publish a transcript of their interview. For comparison sake check out Karen Heller’s recent review of the book, Closer Together, in WaPo. “Grégoire Trudeau is a master of intimacy and sharing — but not too much…Readers learn almost nothing about what it was like to be married to the Canadian prime minister of almost nine years…honestly, she makes Melania Trump seem loquacious by comparison.”
Please, gentle readers, do not give up your power of discernment to Murdoch’s Times.
She’s French and a tender heart.
Yes to all of this @Chelsea!
Thank you @Chelsea!! You said exactly what a lot of us wanted to say. Those of us that listened to Meghan’s episode of Archetype’s with Sophie heard what their friendship IS. It’s not as if a Murdoch owned/or BM hasn’t reduced or malevolently changed an interview/or excerpts from an interview/book to suit their narrative.
Anyone that wants to pretend what a reporter submits to their editor doesn’t have power or anyone that wants to pretend an editor doesn’t have final power about what gets published, is delusional. The recent lawsuits involving the Sussexes have demonstrated that. IF you still don’t get it, read Byline Investigates and Mic Wright’s stuff. It’s not always about H&M. Good breakdowns on the BM’s bullticky.
FYI, Tony Gallagher is the current editor of the Times. His resume: joint deputy editor of the Daily Mail and editor of the Sun. Classy MFer. His name might as well be Dan Wootton minus the secret s*x taping, catfishing and other nefarious activities.imo
The “I know her” is so cold. Then the gush part. Then the need for Sophie to bring in Kate. It’s not very nice, any of it, but I can’t tell how much is due to the catty interviewer. I have a feeling she thinks most Americans gush.
We’re assuming the “journalist” here wasn’t just straight up lying. My assumption is he/she brought up Meghan and this is the absolute worst possible take they could conjure up.
These people have ZERO credibility where Mehan is concerned. They should be treated as such.
It does seem like kind of a strange way of describing what Meghan said was a pretty close friendship. She didn’t have to gush but she could have said something a little bit warmer. Most of Meghan’s friends when they get asked say something positive about Meghan and don’t go into more detail. Weird.
Not weird. What’s weird is people taking the framing from a Murdoch owned British publication as fact.
I’m Canadian and I follow politics quite closely. When Justin Trudeau was first elected many years ago, he and Sophie were a strong team. She’s charismatic and she’s comfortable being in the spotlight. There were news articles that she wanted her own office and staff but it didn’t happen and those stories eventually died. It was obvious to me that she pulled back a lot after that. I suspect she didn’t feel supported by Trudeau. But he’s been under attack from the get-go and if he’d authorized money for her own office it would have been a scandal, and rightfully so because she wasn’t elected and “First Ladies” have never had what she was asking for. Don’t get me wrong I do like her but she’s too ambitious and accomplished to just be a traditional PM’s wife.
It’s always sad when somebody is asked to be less than they are. Sorry to hear this.
As an American now Canadian, I find it a bit archaic that the PM’s wife has to step aside and can’t get a budget when she is giving up her livelihood for him. She serves a purpose and a role still. I don’t get why she can’t get a budget for her role.
Exactly @TigerMcQueen. It’s an enter at your own risk or thank you for showing your ignorance situation.imo Or, as the saying goes, separating the wheat from the chaff.
IYKYK
It is funny how the Uk Press and those that are affiliates, are so Evil that not talking about the Meghan, in their eyes = talking sh#t about her or ‘snubbing’ her. We can see in many cases that her friends just do not want to be hacked or have their words taken out of context.
It would really take more context to judge her response. Who knows how the reporter “brought up” Meghan or Kate. And there may have been more to Sophie’s response than the reporter put in the article.
Context does not even matter.
For Meghan, if she is no longer friends with someone, it is all her fault or she is being snubbed, it has to be made into something nasty about Meghan.
If Anyone of those writers got a fraction of what they gave to Meghan, they would not survive.
Exactly.
nah justin trudeau cheated with mélanie joly and got caught. they had a long time affair but maybe his wife cheated too.
If they get along so well even now, maybe they had an open marriage and an agreement to separate if one found somebody else they wanted to be with?
Melanie Joly seems very happy with her husband whom she is doing an IVF journey with. Just because she danced with him once doesnt mean they had a long affair.
The right wing has also weaponized this alleged affair because they love diminishing women in cabinet. They got super quiet when Baird may have been caught with underaged boys in Israel which impacted the release of the Canadian journalist in Egypt.
He absolutely did not cheat with Melanie Joly, stop spreading vicious lies. Joly and her husband have been undergoing IVF treatments — do you honestly think she’d decide to have an affair with Trudeau at this point? SMH…
100% agree with Jaded and Nic919. These people trying to discuss an affair really only wanna diminish women’s role in cabinet. She can’t be any good at her job, she must be sleeping with her boss! Disgusting it is 2024 and we are still presenting women in political fields in this manner. If I had an affair with every single man I danced with, I would have had a lot more lovers than I currently do. LOL
Rumors are he had an affaire with an actresse but not Méanie Joly ….. People must stop ”shipping” Joly and Trudeau. Other rumors from Ottawa, both were seeing some people even before the election and she wanted to be out after the second term and when he announce he wanted to try a third term that when they announce the split …. so my guess is that she had enough. Some think that if he didn’t want to present for a third election she would have wait till the end of the second term before announcing the split.
I wonder if Sophie considers her relationship with Meg as part of her old life/marriage that she wants to move on from. Could explain the terse seeming reply.
Well, it seems to me the interviewer put more their views instead of her words to that section. There is no uninterrupted dialog that we can judge. The interviewer sprinkled the quotes. Imo, she doesn’t want to take sides publicly as someone who engaged in international work and doesn’t want to talk about Meghan since it is gonna be headlines, adds something nice about Kate dealing with cancer. I don’t know, I can’t judge her for not wanting to be part of the royal drama as an ex-wife of the prime minister of Canada.
At first read her reaction does seem pretty cold – but this is The Times, owned by Murdoch, so no incentive to make Meghan look good – quite the reverse. The journalist couldn’t misquote Sophie but they *could* have not reported all that she said. For example she might have said something like “Yes, of course I know her. We met when she was living in Canada”. That gets shortened to “I know her” which there’s no comeback on because she did say that, hasn’t been misquoted – just not entirely quoted and no journalist is under any obligation to print everything said by an interviewee. We’ve had enough reports that UK Editors (on behalf of media owners) have made it very clear that the line on H&M is to be negative.
So, meh. It feels like the syntax is off and it’s oddly short so I’d bet it wasn’t all that she said…
Agree. Someone who mentions conscious uncoupling doesn’t speak about a person they’ve had good times with this tersely.
This is why playing with the media at all when they have an agenda is doomed. They can easily cut her further sentences and then add in the part about Kate, which might have been a response to a prompt from the interviewer later.
Cherry picking. Whether it was the reporter or editor..don’t know. Sloppy feel. Poor segue. Separate questions. BM MO. Mish Mosh Pish Posh.
Yes @The Hench.
I’m in Canada and I feel like it’s been kind of an open secret that they’ve been informally separated for at least a few years…since the last election or before that. They’re quiet about it and seem to prioritize protecting the kids, and for the most part, media leaves politicians families alone.
Canadian here and it’s been a not-so-secret secret that they’ve been living separate lives in an amicable way for years. She was hoping he wouldn’t run for election again because being PM took significant time away from his marriage. I think she began to chafe at the restrictive life of being the “wife of” as here in Canada the wife of the PM doesn’t have “first lady” status.
Eh, I’m mostly surprised the reporter didn’t ask the burning question. Did Sophie receive a coveted jar of jam?
I think they rather won’t go there, as it might be shattering their carefully construed image that Meghan is shunned by everyone.
Sophie was named in the divorce filings of the doctors former wife. They separated before these filings were reported on, but they knew this was going to be happening. The Canadian press has mostly stayed away from covering this because at the end of the day the marital status of prime minister is irrelevant.
There were also rumours circling about Harper and his wife but those never made it to print.
As for the comments about Meghan, they seem cut off. This is the Times and they have an agenda so we can’t assume this is everything she said. We know that British papers have been told to report negatively on Meghan and positively on Kate.
I equate this Trudeau interview with the Suits cast interview, we no longer have her number. This Trudeau woman is a survivor, cheater or not, her Prime Minister ditched husband must retain diplomatic relationships for his position. No problem for me with the pivot or the follow up response.
It’s been 8 years that Meghan has been with Harry and some of yall are still somehow falling for the British Press’ okie doke smh. Falling for a cherry picked quote to try make it seem like Meghan’s lost a friend when we just confirmation last week that that Ashley Hensen, who the UK press kept claiming quit working for the Sussexe,s indeed still works for them is a choice. And it’s not a smart one.
“still works for them” – sounds like a good idea for a post!
I feel Ike Sophie was trying to be very diplomatic and tactful with her answer the way Serena Williams and The Suits cast have been when asked about Meghan, because every word they say is twisted to gaslight Meghan and make the narrative make her look friendless or that her friends are distancing themselves from her. I think Sophie’s words were twisted by the interviewer to gaslight Meghan or prop up Kate by showing her support and criticizing Meg.
100% this.
I live in Ottawa with lots of govt employee friends and no one I know talks about their marriage. Based on that alone, the reporting of her comment on Meghan should be taken with a grain of salt.
Everyone seems to know how to answer those racist rats because they always find a way to include Meghan in every conversation. Sophie is publishing her book and just trying to make a name for herself outside of being Mrs. Troudeau also Michelle O did the same thing after the Oprah interview which those rats made a meal out of for almost a month. Meghan spent only 18 months in that asylum and they can’t get over her and act like they own her because of her marriage to Harry. These people are truly mental vampires.
Given Justin Trudeau looks like he has lost 20-30 lbs recently, which I saw happen to a close guy friend when his wife cheated and they split, I would say she definitely precipitated the divorce. She seems too happy to be gone to have not been the one to initiate it.
I think people are reading way too much into this. The two were casual acquaintances not close friends or besties. They were situational friends (and there’s nothing wrong with that) and both are in different places now. Her response was fine and factual.
I am sure I read here, I think it was here?, anyway that at some point in the last few months Sophie stayed at the Montecito house, no recollection if it was a few days or if it was longer. But it did seem that they are more than casual acquaintances. Which makes it even more likely to me that she simply chose her words with care and didn’t want to give the reporter any real info. I’d also be pissed if I were her that the big thing the reporter wanted was dirt on Meghan! Jeeze it’s not like Sophie herself isn’t worth discussing or anything!
Look, I’m Canadian and read Canadian news daily, and Trudeau hasn’t lost 20-30 lbs. He’s always been fit and pretty much the same weight, so you are entirely wrong. Nor did she cheat and split, it’s common knowledge that the Trudeaus were basically living separate lives since the last election. It’s a lonely life being married to the PM and here in Canada there’s no actual “First Lady” role other than standing by her man, who wasn’t there most of the time. It was a lonely situation. The man she’s supposedly in a relationship with now was legally separated BEFORE starting to see Sophie so accusing her of doing a dump and run into the arms of another man is just wrong. Frankly, Canadians and the media couldn’t care less about their separation, salacious gossip-mongering isn’t a thing here.
Thank you JADED!! As a Canadian living in Ottawa and always voting Liberal I was reading some of the posts here and thinking “where was I when all this was going on”! I don’t know where most of these stories are coming from as even the notoriously right wing papers here have been relatively hands off when it comes to the private lives of our politicians, including Justin Trudeau.
I am a Canadian in Ottawa as well. He has always been fit, but he looks thinner to me especially recently on the news. Maybe it is his age now (when one is slightly too thin as they get older they look a bit different).
Thank you JADED (also Sue) cause as a Canadian living in BC and always voting Liberal I was reading some of the posts here also and thinking “where was I when all this was going on?” LOL
I was recently involved in an AI scam involving Sophie Trudeau and am still trying to work it through. Don’t usually fall from them, but was, in my small way, supporting a woman redefining herself and got scammed over $1,000.00. Fighting it, though. Point is, she’s being misrepresented in more ways than one.
Reading the DM headline about that “dig” aimed at Meghan I really thought she had pretended not to know her at all but she literally just said “no comment”. These people are insane.
Whatever happened in her marriage is her business.
I don’t care who cheated, or that they split. I do care all mention of her is erased from his PM profile. Just his kids are there, that he’s father to 3. No mention of co parenting or his respect for his ex wife, which I think is entirely appropriate to say considering everyone knows about her. She was erased from existence & that doesn’t sit well with me.
I’m a Sophie fan for many reasons.
I’ll still vote for him next year, I’m not ridiculous. But his “ah shucks” schtick wears on me.
I have a friend whose sister is very very famous. She keeps that close to her chest as usually when people find out, she starts getting questions. I have been around her when she has been asked, and she very straightforward says, “Yes, XXXX is my sister” in a cold voice and look that shuts any further convo down. (They get along, if you are wondering! She just doesn’ feel comfortable talking about her to strangers or the press.) I think that is what Sophie is doing — shutting down the convo firmly — plus still being a dutiful political wife, despite the divorce, to Justin per her Kate comment to balance the questions/answers out. Plus she could actually be friendly with both.
Tabs hate campaign is tiresome and unhinged. We don’t like “our ex” so no one else can or does either. The RF belongs exclusively to them and they have that remunerative access deal. We print endless gush and you pose and spill the tea about all things Sussex. We fawn over you and bash the Sussex couple endlessly. Now its 2024 and tabs are being starved can’t get access to WK, can’t spill the beans and no insider gossip about the Sussex who are busy and thriving. Meg and Harry are active and attractive to cover but they have no first hand access, sob. Fail coverage is tedious and repetitive especially as regards narrative around Meg and who she is or isn’t friendly with because they want to portray her as a user etc., It is all just sour grapes. Fail just prints endless hurtful BS about Meg and harry so anything from the them is suspect.
I don’t see her shading Meghan. Sophie’s first language is French, so some phrasing may seem abrupt for that reason.
It’s very possible the question was, “Do you know Meghan?” And she answered, “Of course I know her, she’s a lovely person. We had a wonderful day of getting to know each other, but now we both got busy with the kids and we haven’t spent any time together lately.” Then the interviewer asked, “have you heard about Kate’s diagnosis?” And she said, “my heart just sunk when I saw what was happening” (as any normal person would). We forget that unless the interview is live, we will never know exactly what was said. Also, she would look very petty now correcting the narrative – well, I said it, but not exactly, I was a lot friendlier, etc etc. Interviewers can spin the text almost any way they want.
We’re missing the tone of her answer but I agree with Kaiser that her friends are not getting drawn into talking about her. Anyway, she’s there to promote her book not talk about Meghan which would become the headlines.
I think everyone is overthinking this.
They probably don’t actually know each other very well enough to have been friendly but not actually friends. 🤷♀️
The whole point of this interview was to get a tidbit about Meghan (and I don’t say that lightly), which they could all manufacture into 50 different stories i.e. SG and Meghan are no longer friends, have fallen out, SG snubs Meghan. There was no correct answer and the one SG gave was adequate.
However SG has her own PR agenda post divorce and she likely did not want to whack the Hornets nest with Meghan’s name on it, especially with a British Media stick so left it alone, albeit clumsily and defensively.
I think the reporter then took the decision to parse the ‘I know’ her comment closely with the comments about Kate, thereby embiggening Kate, because that is the Fleet Street briefing.
SG like any sane person from a political dynasty is not going to open up a diplomatic can of worms by saying anything less than gracious about Kate. It just is what it is.
Sadly until the UK deals with its media, this is the sort of interview we can expect and it directly impacts on our democracy.
I am Canadian, and I think she is behaving with discretion and grace in a media environment that is desperately trying to use any comments to throw shade on the Duchess of Sussex. Mme Gregoire probably simply said that she knew her but would not say anything further and the reporter spun it as a dismissive comment. Come on. Look at the reporter’s employer.
ITA with Selene, I think Sophie has enough,after all these years, media savvy to answer a question better than the way she did. She could’ve easily shut the reporter down by saying “ I’m not going to talk about my private relationship with the DoS.” And that would’ve been the end of it. But like previously said she answered very Mariah Careyesque to a friendship. We not gonna act like she got tricked into answering this question or it was taken out of context when she made a statement to be taken out of context,knowing how trash the British media is.