Katy Perry has long been drawn to a distinct type: men who embody a blend of artistic sensibility, deep emotionality, and a touch of ego. From John Mayer to Orlando Bloom—and without mentioning Russell Brand—her romantic history suggests an enduring teenage fascination with melancholic, artistic heartthrobs. If a character like Jordan Catalano from My So Called Life were real, Perry would have undoubtedly been captivated.
That attraction may now be a thing of the past.
The initial notion of Perry, 40, a woman once famously dressed as a hamburger for the Met Gala, dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 53, sounds utterly improbable. Yet, upon closer examination of Perry’s recent experiences, the pairing begins to make unexpected sense. This is not merely a power play, at least not from an external perspective.
Perry and Trudeau first sparked speculation over the summer when they were observed together in Montreal. The relationship seemingly progressed last weekend, with the couple displaying affection on a yacht off the California coast. Perry appeared to confirm their romance on stage in London on Monday, October 13, jokingly remarking that she was no longer dating Englishmen. Bloom, 48, and Brand, 50, are both British.
This seemingly unlikely match follows a period of significant upheaval for Perry. Her romantic life has been a well-documented rollercoaster since her rise to fame in 2008, but recent years have also presented professional challenges. In April, amidst criticism of her musical comeback and scrutiny over her participation in Blue Origin’s female space flight, she publicly described herself as a "human piñata."
Perry is actively shedding this accumulated drama, doing what many women her age often do: emerging from a major, long-term relationship and re-evaluating everything, including the types of men who have historically drawn their interest. Perry and Bloom, who share a five-year-old daughter named Daisy, were together for nearly a decade before their recent separation.
While most single women in their mid-forties may not encounter former heads of state on dating applications, they might find themselves unexpectedly drawn to accountants, doctors, or professors. These are men with "boring" professions who can offer a much-needed sense of stability and seriousness, especially if their role suggests kindness, caring, and strong communication skills. Furthermore, being 40 and single provides a liberating opportunity for experimentation. Without the pressures of marriage or children often associated with one’s thirties, new waters can be explored, ideally from the deck of a yacht.
This new approach often feels refreshing, and Perry is not the only major star to abandon old dating patterns and thrive. After years of turbulent relationships with fellow actors, Jennifer Aniston, 56, appears to be in her most stable partnership in years with life coach Jim Curtis, a man described as calm, thoughtfully wise, and deeply self-aware.
Gwyneth Paltrow similarly shifted her focus, beginning to date writer and director Brad Falchuk in 2014, at age 42, following her divorce from Chris Martin. The couple married in 2018. Jennifer Garner, 46 at the time, also found her current partner, businessman John Miller, in 2018, months after her divorce from Ben Affleck. While the initial impulse for these relationships might be questioned, they remain strong.
These mid-life romances project a sense of calm, equality, and distinct maturity. They are more about matching activity trackers than matching tattoos. Partners raise their blended families together, support each other’s careers, and, crucially, appear quietly content.
Perry’s attraction to Trudeau might initially seem like a desire to check "politician" off a list of conquests. In reality, it represents a sensible choice, one that could defy expectations and prove lasting. While some might suggest Perry represents a mid-life crisis choice for Trudeau—who divorced Sophie Grégoire in 2023 after 18 years of marriage and has navigated professional scandals—it is important to remember that Perry’s flamboyant public persona conceals an ironclad confidence. Both are powerful individuals. She possesses the keen eye of a tigress.
Moreover, nearly every decision Perry has made in recent years has faced scrutiny, so she has undoubtedly reached a point of indifference.
"Please know I’m okay, I’ve done a lot of work to know myself, to know what’s real and what’s important to me," she wrote via Instagram in April after the space travel controversy. "I’m on a human journey playing the game of life with a massive audience and sometimes I fall but… I get back up and I keep going and I continue to play and somehow, through my bruised and battered adventure, I keep finding the light and in that light a new level is unlocked."
At that moment, she likely did not anticipate her next level would involve dating a globally renowned politician. For now, however, trading the bad-boy energy of past boyfriends for stability and emotional fluidity seems profoundly appealing. In Trudeau, Perry has found a man with whom she could realistically consider school drop-offs and trust to properly separate the recycling, even if he explains carbon policy on the way.
The true test will arrive when the "yacht-kissing" phase concludes and real life begins, but there is a strong sense that, whatever unfolds, Perry will navigate it with absolute poise.