Justin Trudeau, Katy Perry’s romance actually makes sense

Simon Mills, The Independent

Let’s call it a PDF. A Post Divorce Flex. A celebrity marriage breaks down, one partner moves out, lawyers are called in, stuff and real estate gets divided, co-parenting strategies are mapped out and access to dogs agreed on. From then on, it’s a race to see who can date the hottest, most glamorous and famous person first. A new younger and shinier partner, they can be seen out and about with — essentially flexing their newfound freedom with a happy confidence that says, “I’ve moved-on!” But as the former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau makes it official with pop star Katy Perry by holding hands after a date at the Crazy Horse Cabaret in Paris for her birthday, you have to ask, who’s flexing who exactly?

Is it multi-platinum selling, “Queen of Camp” hitmaker Katy, 41, engaged to actor Orlando Bloom for five years, mother of his daughter Daisy Dove Bloom and said to be worth around half a billion dollars (American $ not Canadian, obvs) who is showing offJustin T? “Look at me! I used to be engaged to Legolas from fictional Middle Earth, now I’m dating a man who was a real world leader!” Or is it the recently separated, now ex-Canadian prime minister Trudeau, married for 18 years to Sophie Grégoire, father of three children, who is flexing Katy like smooth maple syrup in his tight black T-shirt? “I was in a safe but dull, grown-up marriage to a First Lady, now I’m walking out with a hot California pop star girl...!”

Perry and Trudeau first started fuelling dating rumours in July after the pair were photographed out in Montreal. Trudeau then attended the singer’s Lifetimes Tour stop in the city the following day. Earlier this month, the “Firework” singer and her new beau were photographed on a yacht in Santa Barbara, California. And what did they talk about? Perhaps the common ground of parallel career slumps was something to bond over, politician and pop star having both endured recent, high-profile, career lows in 2025.

This was the year that super-liberal golden boy Trudeau turned into an unpopular and unvotable political pariah, forced to resign from leadership at the will of his own party. Meanwhile, Katy Perry’s recent 143 album sold dismally, her clunky live performances were widely ridiculed on social media... not to mention the cringy optics of that Jeff Bezos-funded farrago into outer space. So maybe the TruPerry / J-Kat union makes sense as two currently un-hot celebrities making one battle-worn but hyper-hot (and age-appropriate) couple?

Then again, the whole post-split rebound situation may also be all part of a classic mid-life crisis playbook that every newly single man in his fifties (yes even this writer) falls into. And that particular script is basically a set of dumb, free and single lifestyle choices that revolve around showing-off, trying out “new things”, indulging in frequent and unnecessary (and undignified) displays of buffness and making questionable choices that are perhaps 10 or 15 years too young for a 53-year-old man.

The signs are there that this is where the J-Kat, Tru-Perry coupling is at. It’s not so much as a match made in heaven and a midlife meltdown in motion. With Trudeau, it began with a Canadian Haida Raven tattoo on his 40th birthday, shown off on a muscly shoulder during a televised charity boxing match (fighting against Canadian Senator Patrick Brazeau — Trudeau won, obvs). Not long after the split from Sophie Grégoire, did we get served shirtless pap shots of JT and KP canoodling on a yacht. And have you noticed how single Justin is now rocking that sartorial mullet of a combo — suits with trainers? More specifically, green and orange Adidas Gazelles with a Ted Baker whistle to meet the King earlier this year.

While in power (and in wedlock), the PM used to travel around Ottawa in a series of boring Chevrolet Suburban people movers. Nowadays Trudeau’s ride of choice is the ultimate single man’s machine — a two-seater, gull-wing doored, pop video-worthy 1950s Mercedes Benz 300SL coupe inherited from his father. A trip to Coachella or the Burning Man festival must surely be on the TruPerry ’26 schedule. This is the silly, regrettable stuff that happens when apparently sensible middle-aged people split up. Usually amicable and respectful confucius uncoupling, prioritising minimal emotional harm and reframing the breakup, not as a failure, but as a transition to a new life does not play out. It’s more a sprint to the apps and the one who gets spotted out with the fittest, cleverest, best-looking date first, wins. Reader, I did this too. Married for 20 years then divorced at 50, I was a PDF-ing cliche also. Instead of a four million dollar Merc, a convertible Saab. No body ink, but definitely a few more buttons undone on my shirts and some marked post-divorce weight-loss (caused more by stress than diet and gym visits). Best of all? A gazelle-legged fashion model on my arm at a high profile media event. Was I ever so young and foolish?

Of course, the Trudeau boys have stellar form here. Justin’s dad, former Canadian PM aka “Swinging Pierre” and “Trendy Trudeau” was an A-list modeliser and flexer.