Canadians Are Arguing Whether Justin Trudeau Is "Creepy" After Bianca Andreescu's Rally

Bianca Andreescu's rally at Celebration Square on September 15 brought the city together to congratulate and celebrate a historic win for the 19-year-old and for Canada. With election time on the horizon, guests including the Prime Minister made an appearance to cheer on Canada's newest hero, but it seems even amid the celebration he's getting some heat. These Justin Trudeau-Bianca Andreescu photos have certainly got a lot of people talking.

In what was surely a pretty emotional moment for Andreescu, the rally saw her receive a key to the City of Mississauga and finally get that street named after her, too. She also took the congratulations of politicians including Trudeau and Mississauga's Mayor Bonnie Crombie.

Now, though, Trudeau is getting backlash online after a tweet did the rounds showing pictures of the PM which some people say show him a little too close to the tennis star.

Conservative MP Linda Frum shared the tweet on Monday afternoon alongside the accompanying message: "Ladies of Twitter tell me, is it the invasion of personal space or the seeking of unwanted intimate eye contact that most bothers you about these photos? #MeToo"

And plenty of people on Twitter — at least in the replies from the Conservative politician's followers — seem to agree with Frum.

The reference to USA presidential candidate Joe Biden is a reflection of the criticism Biden has faced when it comes to his approach. According to an article by Vox, a former Nevada state legislator, Lucy Flores, had written a personal essay about her experience with Biden at a 2014 campaign event. Flores says he "came up behind her, touched her shoulders, and kissed the back of her head," and that while the behaviour wasn’t criminal, it did make her feel uncomfortable.*

Trudeau has also faced allegations in the past and has responded to those claims. "It's an issue that I have been deeply engaged with, not just as a leader but all my life since my early 20s in university ... active on issues around sexual assault and behaviours," Trudeau told reporters in July of last year after being accused of inappropriate contact in an incident dating back to 2000, according to CBC.

Trudeau was accused of "groping" and "inappropriately handling" a young female reporter at a charity event nearly two decades ago. 

"I've been reflecting very carefully on what I remember from that incident almost 20 years ago and again, I am ... I feel I am confident that I did not act inappropriately," he responded last year.

Trudeau is far from the only politician whose demeanour has got people talking, of course. Plenty of people seemed perturbed by Conservative leader Andrew Sheer at last week's leaders' debate, arguing his relentless stare was a tad unsettling. 

Last year, Trudeau added: "Part of this awakening we're having as a society, a long-awaited realization, is that it's not just one side of the story that matters. That the same interactions can be experienced very differently from one person to the next."

And, speaking of different sides of the story, not everyone on Twitter subscribed to Frum's interpretation of Trudeau's interaction with Andreescu.

This isn't the first time concerns about reactions to the teenage Andreescu have been raised. Google searches for the 19-year-old have also thrown up a variety of topics.

For instance, Google searches for "hot" photos of Andreescu have skyrocketed by 5,337 percent since June. "Bianca Andreescu boyfriend" and "Is Bianca Andreescu single" are also among the top searches involving the tennis star.

Whichever side of the debate you're on, it illustrates that one thing is for sure.

With a federal election just a month away, every issue becomes a political issue — even a teenage sports star's moment of celebration.

*This article has been updated.

There are stories everywhere. If you spot a newsworthy event in your city, send us a message, photo, or video @NarcityCanada on Twitter and Instagram.