American pop star Katy Perry and former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau making it official was not on my 2025 bingo card. Yet here we are, watching the romance unfold right in front of our eyes in what may be the craziest coupling since Cher and Tom Cruise in the ’80s. Perry and Trudeau were spotted holding hands in the city of love, Paris, as they were leaving Perry’s 41st birthday celebration at the Crazy Horse Cabaret.
However, is this relationship just a “Hot N Cold” PR stunt or could it be something more? A Canadian political source told People magazine that “This relationship is already fairly serious and definitely moving in that direction,” adding that Perry and Trudeau are “very much a couple and have been seeing each other as often as possible.” The relationship rumors sparked in July when Perry and Trudeau were seen grabbing dinner together in Montreal. In early October, the two lovebirds were seen kissing on a yacht off the coast of Santa Barbara.
Then came Halloween, when Trudeau dressed up as none other than the iconic “left shark”, paying homage to Perry’s shark backup dancer who went viral at the 2015 Super Bowl Halftime Show for its dance moves. Trudeau posted a photo with his 11-year-old son, Hadrien Trudeau, who was dressed as a mangled surfer and captioned the photo “Ready for Halloween with Hadrien: he’s the surfer, I’m the shark (to his left).” The costume and the caption felt like a not-so-subtle confirmation that something romantic was indeed brewing between the two.
This relationship came off as a shock, especially after Perry and her long-time fiancé, Orlando Bloom, broke off their engagement in June 2025. Perry and Bloom met at a 2016 Golden Globe Awards after-party, where Us Weekly reported that they were “extremely flirty and whispering to each other” the entire night. The two were spotted leaving the party together. In Feb. 2019, they announced that they were engaged, and in Mar. 2020, Perry revealed that she was pregnant with their now four-year-old daughter, Daisy. The pop star and actor had a rocky relationship, breaking up numerous times throughout their time together before finally calling it quits once and for all in the summer of 2025.
While it’s hard to wrap my head around the idea of Perry and Trudeau dating, the two figures who’ve spent much of the past decade in the global spotlight actually share more in common than many might assume. According to the BBC, this pairing offers both the singer and politician a chance to shift the narrative after a hard year of public challenges and image fatigue. “This relationship is a rebranding for both of them in a very interesting and unexpected way,” said José Rodriguez, professor of communication studies at California State University. According to Rodriguez, Perry’s connection with a former head of government could help her pivot toward more civic and philanthropic work. The BBC has also stated that this relationship broadens Perry’s audience beyond pop culture, opening doors to politically engaged communities and international organizations far outside the music industry.
The BBC reported that, as for Trudeau, 53, being linked to the California Gurls singer lends him a softer, more approachable edge. “She operates in a gentler, more creative space,” Rodriguez notes. “That’s a refreshing contrast to the hard-edged world of politics he’s been navigating for so long.”
It’s too soon to tell whether Perry and Trudeau are heading for a fairytale ending or just a headline-making fling, but there is something oddly refreshing about this unexpected match. Plus, Perry can now say, “I kissed a politician and I liked it.”