Sophie Grégoire Says Separation from Justin Trudeau ‘Hurts Deeply’: ‘We’re Still Trying to Figure It Out’

“We are still bound by love and respect and smiles and tears,” Grégoire told Katie Couric, adding that she and the Canadian prime minister maintain an open line of communication with their children

Sophie Grégoire is opening up about her separation from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

While speaking on Thursday, May 2's episode of the Next Question with Katie Couric podcast, Grégoire, 49, addressed how she's been feeling since she and Trudeau, 52, announced they were going their separate ways in August 2023 after 18 years of marriage. The couple — who share children Xavier, 16, Ella-Grace, 15, and Hadrien, 10 — said they parted amicably.

“It hurts deeply, because in a way we have these two words in our language. You know, marriage is 'success.' Separation and divorce is 'failure,'" Grégoire told Couric, 67.

"But life happens in between. And we dramatize our relationships because we are insecure, we are afraid to be abandoned, we are afraid to be alone as human beings. It is not in our nature to be alone and just living alone,” she added.

Related: Justin Trudeau’s Wife Sophie Grégoire Shared Words of Advice to Meghan Markle About Managing Public Pressure

Grégoire — who spoke on Couric's podcast to discuss her new self-help book, Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other — shared that she has had a "very open conversation" and maintains "open communication" with her kids and Trudeau.

"We are still bound by love and respect and smiles and tears, and we’re still trying to figure it out. And it’s not perfect, but when you keep things honest, Michael J. Fox said, ‘We’re only as sick as our secrets,’" Grégoire continued.

"Be careful with the secrets that you hold, because when you sit with lies or betrayals or, you know, whatever your story is and you sit with that and you keep it inside, it builds up and it can become kind of like you’re a monster to deal with every day,” the retired Canadian television host shared.

On Aug. 2, Trudeau first announced on Instagram that he and Grégoire, who married in 2005, were separating. "Hi everyone, Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate," the message read.

"As always, we remain a close family with deep love and respect for each other and for everything we have built and will continue to build. For the well-being of our children, we ask that you respect our and their privacy. Thank you," added Trudeau.

Related: Justin Trudeau’s Father Pierre Trudeau Also Ended His Marriage While He Was Canada’s Prime Minister

At the time, Trudeau's office confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple had "signed a legal separation agreement."

"They have worked to ensure that all legal and ethical steps with regards to their decision to separate have been taken, and will continue to do so moving forward," a statement said.

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While speaking to Meghan Markle's Archetypes podcast in a November 2022 interview, Grégoire touched briefly on her own personal "struggles" when asked to choose three words to describe herself.

"Courageous, sensitive and funny. Because I've been doing so much work to go back to the little Sophie inside of me. Through all the adversity, through all my own struggles, and I found her. So I'm going to continue to take care of her," she said at the time.

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