Who could possibly make Arlene Dickinson nervous? In this week’s episode of “Arlene Is Alone: The Single Life,” the Canadian entrepreneur admitted she was “anxious” to speak to author and former “unofficial first lady” of Canada, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau.
At 50, Grégoire Trudeau is an advocate for mental health and wellness, looking to bridge the gap between pain and healing with science-based research and holistic practices. She’s also navigating the spotlight after separating from her husband, Justin Trudeau, the former Prime Minister of Canada, who’s in his first high-profile relationship post-split with singer Katy Perry.
“Truth requires no drama,” the mother-of-three told Dickinson about her personal life. “Gossip does — and I don’t want to play that game.”
Dickinson sat down with Grégoire Trudeau to discuss childhood trauma, self-esteem, life after her separation and more. Watch Dickinson’s interview with Grégoire Trudeau below, and keep scrolling for some major highlights from this week’s episode.
Yahoo Canada has exclusive access to this season’s episodes of Arlene Is Alone, which will be published each Wednesday as the podcast goes live. In addition, Arlene Dickinson will be writing reflections for Yahoo Canada, in which she will share her personal takeaways from her conversations.
She’s a woman on a mission
Grégoire-Trudeau’s 2024 book Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other was not simply a memoir. It was a deep dive into understanding what causes pain and dysfunction, and how to transition into alignment with our true selves.
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau published her first book, “Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other’ in 2024. (Image via Brian Stukes/Getty Images for Vital Voices Global Partnership)
“We’re all one trauma away from each other. It takes one dramatic life event, one accident, one grief, one loss, and you just start treating yourself differently, just start seeing the world differently,” she told Dickinson.
For Grégoire-Trudeau, that meant sharing how her own experience as the only child of “amazing and loving” parents who both struggled with some form of addiction caused her to develop unhealthy coping mechanisms, like bulimia, to find comfort.
“I wore the cape of wanting to save my dad from himself, save my mom from my dad, save my mom from herself, but that’s not a cape a child should wear,” she said. “Trauma isn’t just something bad that’s happened to you. It can be something that you needed that didn’t take place.”
She’s focused on authenticity — both inside and out
The former television journalist noted that the quest for an authentic life extends beyond just how we feel internally.
“What I see … women and girls are being rewarded for not being authentic. Change your appearance, don’t age, body should look like this — filters, performance and it’s all counter to nature,” she said. “Being authentic means not changing your behaviour — appearance is included in there — to fit a mold or to please.”
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. (Photo illustration: Yahoo Canada)
On the topic of cosmetic surgery, Dickinson said that sometimes, a woman’s reason for changing their appearance is to make themselves happy. Grégoire Trudeau refuted that, instead suggesting that it’s more to do with the cultural messaging of beauty and how women should behave. Grégoire Trudeau said she tries to model acceptance and authenticity to her children, sons Xavier, 18, and Hadrien, 11, but especially to her 16-year-old daughter, Ella-Grace.
“The work that I do as a woman, deeply, intrinsically, is my message to her. Because she sees me go out into the universe. If there’s no coherence … then it’s incoherent,” she said.
‘I’m not a single mom’
Since announcing their separation in August 2023, Grégoire Trudeau and Trudeau have been respectful toward one another as they navigate the creation of a new family unit. The pair still reunite to celebrate holidays with their children, and have even gone on vacations together.
“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 said.
Now that Trudeau, 53, is no longer working in politics, Grégoire Trudeau has perspective on the sacrifices public service entails — and how it impacts the family unit.
Fromer Canadian prime minsiter Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau remain close despite separating in 2023. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
“No family will say that politics is easy to navigate — no,” she said. “When you go out there, the partner and man that you love and your kids are under physical and psychological stress and safety issues. That’s hard to face as a family. I can’t say that I’m a single mom because we’ve raised these kids together. … We call each other up, we text each other, we’ve really tried to feel cohesion so that the kids feel cohesion. … We have separate lives but we have one family life. … it’s not always easy to live, but it’s very adult.”
In July 2025, Trudeau was photographed having dinner with Perry in Ottawa. Months later, the pair seemingly confirmed their relationship when they celebrated Perry’s 41st birthday in Paris.
How you react to stuff is your decision. I choose to try to listen to the music instead of the noise
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
Despite the interest and attention surrounding Trudeau and Perry’s relationship, Grégoire Trudeau remains protective of her personal life and avoids getting involved in a discussion about her estranged husband’s new relationship.
“How you react to stuff is your decision. I choose to try to listen to the music instead of the noise. I’m very aware that a lot of the public stuff can be triggers. … the woman that I want to become through this is my decision,” she said. ‘I’m also learning at 50, that people will do and will meet life where they are inside of them. Is it frustrating sometimes? Of course… but then it’s your choice to see that and be like, how am I going to let that affect my happiness? It doesn’t mean that you’re perfect and don’t feel all those big emotions…”
Her love for Canada runs deep
During her marriage, Grégoire Trudeau was often referred to as the “unofficial first lady” of Canada. During Trudeau’s decade-long turn as prime minister, she worked alongside him, meeting Canadians and raising awareness for mental health.
In a period marked by political tensions, Grégoire Trudeau still celebrates Canada as “one of the most beautiful countries in the world” but urges others to come together to further improve the country by exercising the right to vote and taking care of one another.
“I think we should be very careful about criticizing each other,” she said. “We are still sitting on the potential of celebrating diversity as our biggest strength. Our true nature as Canadians is that we have each other’s back … I love this country so much. To be in service to each other is our core responsibility.”
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