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It’s been more than a year since Justin Trudeau stepped down as Canada’s Prime Minister, but he continues to creep back into the public consciousness.
This week he appeared on millions of social networks with a promotional video for his pop star friend Katy Perry’s new single. Watch it burnsparking an online debate about whether he looks cool, ugly or embarrassing.
The 54-year-old is one of several people seen jumping around the screen in the 15-second TikTok video as Perry sings in the foreground. Perry posted the video on Thursday and has filmed several similar clips in different locations since late June.
Some were happy to see Trudeau cheerful, smiling and casually dressed.
TMZ shared the video on X Friday, calling the video of Trudeau’s “dance debut” “cute.”
But reporters less Trudeau-friendly took the opportunity to lambast the controversial former prime minister.
“From running a G7 country to B-roll,” quipped podcast host Mario Naufal. Author and former Concordia University professor Gad Saad, fueling the drama, said “it will forever stain Canada that such a person held power for 10 years.”
Others criticized “MAGA” for “melting” over the video. US columnist Matthew Yglesias said Trudeau was “traveling the world with his cool pop star girlfriend”, adding: “You may not like it, but it’s a performance of the highest order.”
Coachella, red carpets and Canada Day
Trudeau appears to have been living with his new passion for the past few months, following a very different trajectory from former prime ministers who have gone into consulting work, law firms and speaking engagements after leaving office.
They were first spotted together in public in 2025 when they were seen at dinner in Montreal.
In April, the couple was spotted at the Coachella music festival in California, where Trudeau was photographed wearing a backwards baseball cap, eating noodles from a box and balancing a red plastic cup on his knee.
In May, Trudeau and Perry made their red carpet debut at the premiere of the singer’s concert film at the Tribeca Festival in New York, and last month he attended the USA-Paraguay men’s World Cup game, where Perry performed before the game.
WATCH | Trudeau speaks with CBC’s Adrienne Arsenault:
Justin Trudeau talks unity and political divisions in Canada
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stops to chat with CBC’s Adrienne Arsenault during Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa.
When he stopped by Ottawa’s Canada Day celebrations last week, he told CBC’s Adrienne Arsenault that he was doing “really great.”
“My style was a little shy of being prime minister,” he said, referring to his long tradition of attending various Canada Day celebrations. “But now I can really relax and enjoy Canada Day.”
He expressed his gratitude to the political staff and hoped that they too would be able to relax during the day.
“Being too involved in politics robs you of what is sometimes the best thing about being an ordinary Canadian: drinking a beer and talking on the porch about this great country we live in.”
Trudeau and his ex-wife Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau split in 2023 after an 18-year relationship. Meanwhile, Perry announced in 2025 that she and longtime fiancé Orlando Bloom were splitting after seven years.
“Canadian Heritage Moment”
Perry’s fans reacted positively to Trudeau’s appearance on TikTok.
Commentators on Watch it burn The clip said it was nice to see Trudeau “genuinely happy” and that he was “finally achieving his teenage dream,” referring to one of Perry’s hits.
“This is a Canadian heritage moment,” one fan wrote.
On Reddit, the tone was mostly lighthearted.
“Bro is happier than ever,” one user wrote, while another said Trudeau was in the “era of the aging himbo.”
“I love love too much to even hate this,” wrote user anb9216. “They are completely obscene together.”