The Eerie Comment Justin Trudeau's Wife Once Told Meghan Markle

Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire's separation may have been confirmed in early August 2023, but if comments the Canadian first lady made to Meghan Markle a few months prior are anything to go by, this split was a long time coming. So, just what did Grégoire tell the Duchess of Sussex? 

As fans of Markle's "Archetypes" podcast may remember, Grégoire featured in a November 2022 episode, "Good Wife/Bad Wife, Good Mom/Bad Mom." During the conversation, Markle revealed that she and Grégoire were close. However, even if Markle herself hadn't spoken about their friendship before then, it wasn't the first time their bond had been addressed. In the 2020 biography on her and Prince Harry, "Finding Freedom," the authors revealed that Grégoire and Markle been introduced to one another in 2016 by Jessica Mulroney, who felt they would connect over everything they had in common. "Sophie had given up a career in television, where she had been working as a correspondent on CTV's 'eTalk,' to take on a more formal role alongside her husband as he hit the campaign trail," the authors explained (via SheKnows).

In light of their years-long friendship and common personal and professional backgrounds, then, it's not all that surprising that Grégoire felt comfortable opening up to Markle on the podcast. So, just what did she say? And no, we're not referring to her quipping that, "For homies, it's Sophie G in the house."

Early on in her conversation with Meghan Markle, Sophie Grégoire touched on the guilt she felt as a mom, wife, and woman in the public eye. She also noted that when it came to domestic duties, the bulk tended to land on women ... and implied that she was no exception. 

In response to the poem from Dr. Shefali Tsabary's "A Radical Awakening" read out by Markle, Grégoire offered up a playful roar, before chiming that she resonated with the lioness mentioned. "The lioness is a metaphor for ... everything, because, well, first of all, she does a lot of the work in the lion tribe," she began. "Women across this planet are still the nucleus of the family. They still carry most of the load for housework, contributing to the family's wellbeing and most decisions concerning the kids," she went on to explain. It's something she'd touched on, in the past, when she admitted to Le Soleil, "I have three children and a husband who is prime minister. I need help" (via The Guardian). 

Adding that she believed most women could relate to that, Grégoire also pointed out that she felt many came to a point in their lives when they faced an overwhelming desire to move beyond those expectations. "We're all that lioness. We all have that inside of us and we all long to, to be free in, in who we are," she mused. 

It's worth noting that, while Sophie Grégoire's comments to Meghan Markle on the "Archetypes" podcast could certainly be read as her considering a major life change, she's always been open about her marriage. More specifically, she's been an open book when it's come to the challenges she and Justin Trudeau have faced throughout their relationship. 

In an interview with The Globe and Mail back in 2016, she poked fun at the Vogue photoshoot she and Trudeau had done the year prior, which included an image of them gazing into one another's eyes, but also revealed that it was something they'd learned in marriage counseling. "We've ... done couples therapy where you need to look at each other's eyes and stand there until you become vulnerable enough for your truth and your suffering to come out," she explained. It wouldn't be the last time she'd hint at them facing difficulties in their marriage. Even in her Instagram post acknowledging their 17-year wedding anniversary, she shared, "You all know I keep things honest: long-term relationships are challenging in so many ways."

In another Instagram post, just under a year later, Grégoire shared that she would be opening up once again in an upcoming book. The book, which promises to share things she's gone through over the years, is set for 2024 release. Time will tell if it will feature a foreword by Markle.