There have been a number of clear indicators that many Canadians have been rising bored with Justin Trudeau as prime minister and Liberal chief as fall turned to winter in 2024. He’d misplaced a pair of byelections and the help of the NDP, was dealing with mounting dissent inside his personal caucus, and watched as his approval scores plunged and Pierre Poilievre’s soared. Issues turned from unhealthy to worse when long-time senior minister Chrystia Freeland abruptly resigned, citing coverage friction with Trudeau. The already beleaguered prime minister was even advised to “please get the f— out of B.C.” by a girl who acknowledged him at a ski resort final Christmas. (Trudeau replied with a chuckle and wished the lady “a wonderful day.”) Suffice it to say, there have been loads of purple flags and Trudeau, to his credit score, appeared to note them. He tendered his resignation in January and handed the reins to Mark Carney in March. Mark Carney, Chief of the Liberal Occasion of Canada, embraces Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after being introduced the winner on the Liberal management conference in Ottawa, on Sunday, March 9, 2025. And whereas different previous prime ministers have largely quietly exited the highlight to hunt out no matter degree of a non-public citizen’s life is obtainable to them, 9 months after his departure, Trudeau can’t appear to remain out of the limelight. However not like these prime ministers earlier than him who discovered “fame,” per se, by their tenure as the pinnacle of presidency, Trudeau has been well-known since start. “When he was born, this was like the biggest front page news in the country,” Nelson Wiseman, political science professor emeritus on the College of Toronto, advised in an interview. “Whereas normally, I think it would have been noted, it wouldn’t have been as big a thing as it was because not only was he the son of Pierre Trudeau, around which a mystique had already developed, but Trudeau’s wife was so young.” The late Trudeau and former prime minister was 51 when he married the 22-year-old Margaret Sinclair in 1971 and Justin, their first of three kids collectively, was born on Christmas Day that 12 months. He spent most of his early youth residing at 24 Sussex Drive and accompanied his father, usually with brothers Alexandre “Sacha” and Michel, to numerous occasions and appearances, forcing all of them into the general public eye.
Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau walks off a ship in Port Alberni, B.C., whereas holding a four-year-old Justin Trudeau in Might 1976.
After a low-key adolescence and early maturity due to his father’s departure from workplace in 1984, he returned to the general public eye in his late 20s when he delivered the eulogy for his father in 2000.
By 2008, and regardless of beforehand telling CTV in 1995 that he would by no means enter politics, he ran and was narrowly elected for the primary time in Montreal. The remaining is Canadian historical past because the 44-year-old former faculty instructor grew to become the nation’s second-youngest prime minister in 2015 and the primary sired by a earlier prime minister. (His father’s transient successor, Joe Clark, grew to become the youngest at 39 in 1979, however served lower than a 12 months earlier than his Progressive Conservative authorities was defeated by the elder Trudeau in 1980.)
His inherited fame is a view additionally endorsed by Acadia political science professor Alex Marland, who says to know Trudeau “is to look at him first and foremost as a celebrity.”
“Once you look at him as a celebrity, you start to understand him in a very different way than other prime ministers, other politicians,” Marland advised .
Whereas different prime ministers have been “just another citizen” earlier than being elected to the best workplace in Canada, Trudeau’s “normal is as a celebrity.”
Marland, with out opining on the specifics, added that a few of the issues which have put Trudeau again within the headlines since his considerably unceremonious exit “are consistent with that theory.”
The Monday after Carney’s ascension, Trudeau took a visit to Canadian Tire to buy utensils and home equipment, sharing his outing on Instagram, one of many social media platforms he had strategically embraced all through his political profession.
Justin Trudeau posted a selfie on Instagram, displaying him whereas he went purchasing at Canadian Tire on March 17, 2025. It was his first put up since Mark Carney grew to become Canada’s new prime minister.
Whereas his predecessor, Stephen Harper, ruled through the creation of social media, it wasn’t a device employed by the Conservatives on the time.
“There was never anybody that he ran into that he wasn’t willing to take a selfie with,” Wiseman stated of Trudeau. “In fact, a relative of mine has a selfie of herself and him — I’m not even sure she’s a Liberal.”
Exterior of campaigning for his substitute in Papineau, Que., Trudeau was largely off the radar post-politics till he confirmed as much as King Charles II’s throne speech in Might sporting a pair of inexperienced and orange Adidas sneakers along with his two-piece swimsuit. The informal apparel within the presence of royalty reportedly led to some “outrage” within the U.Ok.
Within the weeks that adopted, he shared pictures from particular person holidays he took with the three kids he shares with ex-wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau — Xavier, 18, Ella Grace, 16, and Hadrien, 11.
Since their separation after 18 years of marriage in 2023, the previous couple seem to have maintained a co-parenting relationship, even vacationing and spending some holidays collectively, together with as just lately as this Thanksgiving.
A view of former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s Adidas sneakers as he arrives forward of the Speech from the Throne by King Charles on Might 27, 2025, in Ottawa.
Amidst these moments, nevertheless, got here an occasion that might not have been on anybody’s 2026 Bingo card: Trudeau and Grammy-nominated worldwide pop star Katy Perry have been noticed having dinner collectively at Le Violon, a swanky Montreal restaurant. He additionally accompanied his daughter to Perry’s sold-out present on the Bell Centre.
The July revelation adopted up with extra Trudeau and Perry sightings: kissing atop her yacht in a California harbour, a date caught by Paris paparazzi and Trudeau becoming a member of her on tour in Europe.
They grew to become “Instagram official” in early December when Perry shared photographs and video of herself and Trudeau in Tokyo, the place her world tour simply ended. On the identical journey, the pair dined with former Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida and his spouse, Yuko.
Marland causes Trudeau’s inherent movie star standing will imply the curiosity might by no means wane.
“When we see a photograph of him having dinner with an American pop singer in Montreal, is that because he made it known that he was there? Or is that because he actually wanted his privacy,” he contemplated.
From the left, former prime minister Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry pose for a photograph in entrance of a Christmas tree with Yuko and Fumio Kishida, the previous Japanese prime minister.
It’s not clear if Trudeau and his ex-wife frolicked collectively this Christmas. He shared a single photograph with the children on his social media, whereas Grégoire Trudeau shared a picture of herself staring right into a sundown in a put up that mentions neither Trudeau nor her kids.
“I welcome this new year the way I welcome the horizon — with trust, open arms, and a heart that knows its own rhythm,” she wrote. “I’m choosing presence over pressure, depth over noise, and the quiet courage it takes to stay true to myself.”
Perry, in the meantime, was silent on social media over the vacations.
Professionally talking, Trudeau hasn’t had practically as a lot scrutiny as he has personally and romantically.
He stated nothing of his post-political intentions in his resignation speech, nor within the one he delivered on the Liberal management conference, however he did supply some candid perception in a 2023 interview with Quebec information station Noovo.
“I see myself working with young people, going back to teaching or as a professor in university, a speaker, maybe on technology in relation to our democracy,” he stated when requested particularly about life after public workplace.
“I’m excited for the next chapter, but not right away.”
Not not like different politicians earlier than him, a part of that includes talking engagements and Trudeau is represented by the Speaker Reserving Company, which quotes his in-person appearances beginning at $100,000.
It’s not instantly clear what number of he’s booked by the agency, however his first identified and documented speech got here when he delivered the keynote tackle on the twenty sixth World Information Discussion board in September. A couple of month later, the Chicago Council on International Affairs awarded him the 2025 International Chief honours.
As for what his “next chapter” will embody, Wiseman stated Trudeau is exclusive in that he’s nonetheless a comparatively younger man, making him the youngest at time of departure (53) since Arthur Meighen in 1926. (John Sparrow David Thompson, Canada’s fourth prime minister, was simply 49 when his time period led to 1894.)
Harper, in the meantime, was solely 56 when he was voted out of workplace on Trudeau’s first majority win as Liberal chief in 2015, however the former prime minister was something however a media darling throughout his two phrases.
Marland stated Harper is the one fashionable chief to whom Trudeau may be in contrast, however there’s an enormous distinction between the 2.
“Harper really didn’t seem to enjoy the camera, even when he was prime minister. He was far more interested in policy and almost used the media when he needed to,” he stated.
“The same thing has happened when he’s out of power, that he’s really not appearing a lot in the news. It’s much more selective and careful.”
Former prime ministers Justin Trudeau, left, and Stephen Harper share fun forward of King Charles delivering the speech from the throne within the Senate in Ottawa on Tuesday, Might 27, 2025.
After leaving workplace, Harper returned to Alberta, the place he launched a world strategic enterprise consulting agency, co-founded an funding fund, chaired varied organizations, and did talking engagements world wide, based on the province.
Wiseman isn’t satisfied Trudeau will comply with swimsuit.
“My feeling is that Trudeau doesn’t need the money and he doesn’t care that much about that,” he instructed.
Whereas Trudeau’s exact internet value is unclear, he stands to make as much as $8.4 million in pension funds, based on the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation.
Different previous prime ministers who’ve pivoted to consulting embody Jean Chrétien, Brian Mulroney and Trudeau’s father, all of whom did so at legislation companies.
Pierre Trudeau is seen strolling to his workplace in Montreal in 1992.
No matter Trudeau chooses to do along with his time within the years to return, Marland doesn’t suppose a standard life is within the playing cards.
“It was already done for him,” he stated. “He could never ever be just another citizen.”
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