Why Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau just might work

This is a couple that few could have predicted: the former Prime Minister of Canada and the American pop star who has toured the world and reached the edge of space.

Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry made it official. Last weekend, the couple were spotted holding hands in Paris as they left the Crazy Horse cabaret, where they were celebrating Perry's 41st birthday.

While they may seem like an unlikely duo, Trudeau and Perry, who have both been in the spotlight for much of the last decade, have more in common than some might think. And their budding romance is not unprecedented in Canadian political history.

The pairing also allows them to change the conversation after a year in which both have faced blows to their reputations.

The relationship is “a rebranding for both of them in a very interesting and unexpected way,” says Jose Rodriguez, a professor of communication studies at California State University, Long Beach.

Partnering with a public figure creates a strong bridge for Perry to civic and philanthropic work, he adds. This expands her audience and access to politically interested publics and global organizations outside the music industry.

For Trudeau, 53, the California Girls singer is helping his new image because she is in a “softer arena,” Mr. Rodriguez says, rather than the cutthroat world of politics.

This is also based on simple human connections, observers say. Both are newly single – Trudeau and his wife separated in 2023 – and this is the first high-profile post-split romance for both.

Rumors of a romance between the two began swirling in late July when they were spotted having dinner together at Le Violon, a chic restaurant in the heart of Montreal.

Two days later, Trudeau was spotted at Perry's concert in the city, singing along to her hits Firework and Teenage Dream.

Then, in mid-October, photos of them kissing aboard Perry's yacht off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, went viral.

Neither Trudeau nor Perry have spoken publicly about their affair. Their representatives did not respond to the BBC's requests for comment. But before photos from the weekend emerged, the singer appeared to hint at a relationship during a London tour last month.

A fan in the audience proposed to her shortly after photos emerged of her and Trudeau canoodling.

“You know, you really should have asked me about 48 hours ago,” Perry responded.

While many may not have seen it coming, observers say their association helps improve their individual public image.

After becoming a global progressive icon when he was elevated to Canada's top job in 2015, Trudeau was forced to resign earlier this year after his popularity plummeted.

Although he won an overwhelming majority a decade ago by promising a “sunny path” at home while winning admiration for his youthful charm abroad, it didn't take long for scandals to tarnish his image.

A number of luxury vacations have drawn criticism for being tone-deaf, including one trip to the Aga Khan's private island in the Bahamas that was found to violate federal conflict of interest laws. Trudeau then faced another controversy in 2019 after old photos of him in blackface surfaced, forcing him to issue a public apology.

By the end of his tenure, Canadians had become disillusioned with his leadership and were ready to move on.

Perry has also faced a lot of unwanted headlines after being at the peak of his popularity for many years.

The singer enjoyed the peak of pop stardom in the 2010s, releasing consistent hits and her bold, flamboyant style helping define pop culture. In 2018, Billboard magazine named her one of the greatest pop stars of the 21st century.

But the scandal found her too. Her new album, 143, has been panned by critics as her worst creative work to date. The Guardian called it “somewhat of a complete disaster” and The Telegraph called it “catastrophic”.

And earlier this year, she was ridiculed for participating in Blue Origin's all-female spaceflight alongside billionaire Jeff Bezos' wife Lauren Sanchez and CBS anchor Gayle King. Perry acknowledged the criticism in April, saying, “I'm not perfect” but that “the Internet is very much a dumping ground for the abnormal and the incurable.”

Then came the split between her and Bloom, who she was with after her marriage to comedian Russell Brand ended in 2011.

“When you're in the middle of a bad storyline, the best thing you can do is move on to another storyline,” notes Los Angeles Times pop music critic Mikael Wood.

The relationship with Trudeau “changes the subject of a failed album and tour that felt a little greedy and misguided, and forces us to talk about something else.”

The measured development of the relationship also seemed to contribute to the development of romance among observers.

Professor Rodriguez notes that their appearance together in Paris was a “high signal and low-key verbal confirmation” of their affection, allowing the visuals to do their job.

“Each has withstood scrutiny, so a carefully crafted relationship narrative can redirect attention to vitality, optimism, and cross-domain significance.”

This couple actually has something in common.

Perry and Trudeau are ideologically aligned, notes Los Angeles music writer Gerrick Kennedy, as “establishment disrupters” in their respective fields.

Perry herself is no stranger to activism and politics: in 2016, she spoke at several campaign events for US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and publicly supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

She is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights and supports various feminist charities and causes—issues that Trudeau has also publicly supported (he famously made gender parity in cabinet a centerpiece of his policies).

In addition, each of them seems to be a devoted parent to their young children. Perry's four-year-old daughter, Daisy, often appears on her Instagram. Trudeau's Instagram shows he spent the summer taking each of his three children on separate vacations.

In meeting with Perry, Trudeau is charting a different post-political path than his predecessors, who often took on high-level consulting jobs or joined law firms.

But that's typical of a prime minister who has always been unusual, says Michael Mulvey, a marketing professor at the University of Ottawa.

As the son of another former prime minister, Pierre Eliot Trudeau, he grew up in the spotlight. One of his earliest photographs shows baby Justin being held in the arms of former US First Lady Pat Nixon.

After splitting from his wife, the younger Trudeau could not avoid inevitable comparisons with his father, who also split from his first wife and the mother of his children, Margaret, while in office.

Trudeau Sr. had his own famous connections, namely with the American singer Barbra Streisand and the Canadian actress Kim Cattrall, known for the TV series “Sex and the City.”

“There is no doubt that we are seeing history repeating itself,” says Jonathan Malloy, a political science professor at Carleton University in Ottawa.

But Professor Mulvey points out that there are others who share his human experience of becoming a single father.

Shortly after his exit from politics, Trudeau posted a photo of himself buying kitchen utensils, which commentators took as a signal of the beginning of his “divorced dad era.”

“There are probably people who are hoping he will pull himself together, go through a cooling-off period from the trauma of the divorce and move on with his life,” Professor Mulvey says.