International relations? Publicity stunt? Or true love? Laying odds on the Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry dating rumours
But now, Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry dating rumours are here to deliver us from said hellscape. That is correct: The former Canadian PM and current international pop star were spotted dining at a Montreal restaurant on Monday night.
According to TMZ, they spent several leisurely hours enjoying a multicourse experience (when they weren't talking intently and arguably making gaga eyes at each other).
The tabloids are eating it up, social media is in overdrive. The true nature of this unlikely union is unknown – neither party has confirmed (or denied!) anything. But that doesn't mean we can't bet on it.
Here, we unpack and lay odds on the possible scenarios.
Scenario 1: Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry are dating
ODDS: 36 per cent
Certainly, this feels like the most obvious answer: When you hear hoofbeats, don't look for a zebra, and when you see two globally recognized superstars in the prime of life lingering over a tasting menu, don't rule out a budding romance. Trudeau has been on the market since his marriage ended in 2023, while Perry is newly unattached after splitting from her partner of six years Orlando Bloom, earlier this month.
And now, here they both are, dining a deux, he with the confident hand gestures, she with both palms on her cheeks, like a human swoon emoji. After dinner, the pair popped up for cocktails on the patio of Taverne Atlantic. (Per TMZ: Perry ordered a Jack and Coke and was told they don't serve American booze, so she ordered Crown Royal Canadian whisky instead.) Next we get our 'smoking gun' moment: footage of Perry and Trudeau leaving the bar, the latter in clear peacock mode with his cameo blazer slung over his shoulder, giving off Saturday Night Fever vibes on a Monday.
Physically speaking, Trudeau fits Perry's dating profile: As well as Bloom, her exes include foppishly handsome brunettes Josh Groban and John Mayer. For Trudeau, a post-divorce dalliance with a world famous chanteuse is a time-honoured family tradition: Pierre Elliott famously romanced Barbra Streisand in the late 1960s.
Scenario 2: They are just chums
ODDS: 12 per cent
If there is a pre-existing friendship between 40-year-old Perry and 53-year-old Trudeau, the internet offers no bread crumbs. Trudeau attended Taylor Swift's Eras tour last fall, so maybe he's just a pop mega fan meeting a hero. (Although he seems like more of a nineties alt-rock dude).
The viral Coldplay kiss-cam video shows digital sleuthing can go too far
TMZ interviewed the owner of Le Violon, Danny Smiles, who described the mood of the meal as more friend zone than romance. Of course, Smiles was more focused on the free PR, rattling off the various courses of the restaurant's tasting menu (gnocchi, lobster, tuna and tartar). And what did he expect: some kind of Lady and the Tramp re-enactment over the pasta course? These are two PR-savvy celebrities in a well-lit dining room, which brings us to our next scenario…
Scenario 3: They are not dating, but want us to think they're dating
ODDS: 32 per cent
Experts in the early courtship of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will recall that their initial dates took place in private locations with significant subterfuge. Transpose this against Trudeau and Perry's 24 hour tour de force (which also included a casual dog walking excursion earlier in the day, where Perry's giant straw felt like the kind of celebrity camouflage engineered to draw attention).
If we're thinking showmance, there is some logic: It's been a rough year for Perry, who became a global punchline as the face of the Virgin's flight to Lady Space. She split from her longtime fiancé, and sales on her new album and tour have been dismal. Enter a flashy new boyfriend with political gravitas: Good for her brand and a solid swipe against Bloom, recently seen getting cutesy with the Kardashians at the Bezos wedding.
And then we've got our erstwhile PM, who also knows something about reputational nosedives, and it's only logical that he might be longing for those Rolling Stone magazine days. A pop star girlfriend could be just the ticket. Or maybe he's shopping a political memoir and this is part of a real-time pitch. (Certainly spicier than his whole 'divorced dad shopping at Canadian Tire' schtick).
Scenario 4: This was an act of international diplomacy
ODDS: 10 per cent
Stephen Harper has been back in the spotlight recently, advising the federal government on Can/Am relations. For former prime ministers, service to country doesn't end when you vacate 24 Sussex. So perhaps Trudeau's agenda here is less romantic, more political. We know he has a way of getting under Donald Trump's skin and a date with the California Gurls singer might rankle just as the August 1st tariff deadline approaches.
Scenario 5: This was a guerilla ad for Crown Royal whisky
ODDS: 7 per cent
Brilliant.
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