Xavier Trudeau’s Celebrity Bid Flames Out on Social Media, but Prime Minister’s Son Deftly Handles It Like a Pol

Like many individuals in the Gen Z era, Xavier Trudeau is on a quest for a following, whether he is worthy of fame and fortune or not. But as the son of the former prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, the 18-year-old’s attempt to make a name for himself as a singer and model is beset by a whole other set of challenges, including a barrage of internet trolls and a pool of talent that makes his headlong pursuit especially treacherous.With the fearlessness of a digital native, the young Mr. Trudeau showed off his autotuned skills on Sunday at Ottawa’s Shawarma Festival. The event featured an array of Middle Eastern cuisine and a stab at the Guiness Book of World Record’s award for the longest shawarma sandwich. It was, by all accounts, the proper setting for a man of his abilities.“Everyone hates him because of his Dad, and he can’t sing. Great combo,” wrote an Instagram viewer.The previous week, Mr. Trudeau, who performs under the name Xav, served as the halftime entertainment at an Ottawa Blackjacks basketball game at The Arena at TD Place. Dressed in an all-white outfit, he wandered around the court, running through several tracks, including his debut single “Til The Nights Done,” his vocals muddled beneath a thick layer of synthesizers.His grandmother Margaret Trudeau and mother Sophie Grégoire Trudeau were both in attendance courtside — a familial show of support that did little to soften the online pile-on.“That was straight-up painful to watch. He’s lumbering around the court like a confused Sasquatch with zero rhythm, no stage presence, and a flow that didn’t exist, one critic wrote on X. “Heavy autotune couldn’t save it. This wasn’t just bad, it was embarrassing.” “He’s as good at singing as his father is at politics,” one person quipped, while another joked, “Nice to see that cringe runs in the family.” The halftime disaster followed an equally eyebrow-raising modeling debut for Raimundo Langlois, a New York-based Gen Z denim brand favored by the likes of Charli XCX, Hailey Bieber, and A$AP Rocky. Shot at a secluded location in Chappaqua, New York, the campaign featured Xavier flaunting washboard abs, chomping on a cigar, and wrestling over a pair of black thong panties with TikToker and model James LaFrance. The brand, known for its provocative ad campaigns, sells jeans for $360 and polo T-shirts for $250.For the teen who has spent the entirety of his life in front of cameras, Mr. Trudeau appears unfazed. Talking to a paparazzo in what looked to be an impromptu but not altogether surprising accost on a street at New York City a few weeks ago, Mr. Trudeau acknowledged that he is used to the negative spotlight because of his famous parents. “I get a lot of hate,” he told the interviewer, influencer Feroz Khan. “I live in Canada. My family is a very influential family in Canada and I mean a lot of people don’t like me because of my dad or my mom or whatever.”In a separate interview on the “Can’t Be Censored” podcast, Xav admitted that he isn’t entirely immune to the criticism, but he has learned from living in the epicenter of Canadian politics to spin a negative into a positive. “It’s built into my brain … when someone comments on my (music) video or shares my video … it just helps me. Instagram realizes people are interacting with this stuff.”Launching his tumultuous debut in February 2025, Mr. Trudeau has since leaned on an unlikely adviser: his father’s girlfriend, superstar Katy Perry. “We’ve talked for hours, just talking about my music,” Xavier said on the podcast. “When I’m really happy with a song (I) send it (to her). She’s always happy to give me advice or tell me what I should change. She’s super nice. She’s super down to earth.”While his singing may not launch the musical career he dreams of, Xavier Trudeau says he’s not programmed to go into politics like his dad. “A lot of people pressure me to do that, but I make music so it’s a totally different lane.” That may be the wrong choice. While the elder Mr. Trudeau resigned from office in early 2025 amid significant political pressure and declining public support — ending a nearly nine-year stint as prime minister — Xavier has demonstrated he is well-tempered for the profession. He has gone so far as to be almost sporting about the nickname,”Lil Carbon Tax,” bequeathed to him by his father’s critics on the internet. “That one is good. That one is funny,” he said. “But they use it so much. Don’t saturate it too much.”

Xavier Trudeau’s Celebrity Bid Flames Out on Social Media, but Prime Minister’s Son Deftly Handles It Like a Pol

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