Fact Check: Is Justin Trudeau related to Fidel Castro? Viral tweet surfaces in wake of Canada PM's separation from wife

A picture claiming Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is related to Former Cuban president Fidel Castro has been making rounds on the internet amid the former's separation from his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. On August 2, a Twitter user named @MattWallace888 shared a collage of the 51-year-old politician's pictures alongside Castro's.

The post garnered a huge response from Twitterati, who contributed to the conversation and speculated if the two were related. However, this is not the first time such claims have surfaced online. Similar claims made their way back in 2018 and forced the offices of the Canadian PM to clarify.

In 2018, after Fidel Castro's oldest son Fidelito died by suicide, several media houses reported that he allegedly left a note referring to Trudeau as his half-brother. The notion that Castro could be Trudeau's father gained significant popularity on social media following Castro's death in 2016.

Trudeau's controversial remarks, which lauded the deceased Cuban leader, sparked speculation and discussion surrounding this theory. The Canadian government denied the claims stating Trudeau's parents visited Cuba and met Fidel Castro over four years after the now-Prime Minister was born.

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Justin Trudeau and his wife are separating after 18 years of marriage

On August 2, Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie, announced their separation on his Instagram handle. In a lengthy statement, the duo shared their decision to separate after "many meaningful and difficult conversations."

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

The duo share three kids - Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien. Former entertainment writer Sophie Grégoire Trudeau attended the same school as Justin's younger brother Michel.

The duo crossed paths again as adults in 2003 while hosting a fundraising ball. They tied the knot in May 2005 in Montreal, Canada.

While commenting on Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's divorce, the Prime Minister's office told Reuters:

"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. Both parents will be a constant presence in their children's lives and Canadians can expect to often see the family together. The family will be together on vacation, beginning next week."

Since his father and mother's divorce in 1977, Justin Trudeau will be the first Prime Minister to undergo a divorce while still in office. Margaret Trudeau, the wife of then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, reportedly left her husband, who was 29 years her senior, and their three sons for New York City. She requested a divorce after six years.