Nearly a decade ago, Céline Dion said goodbye to her husband and longtime manager René Angélil. After 21 years of marriage and a continuous battle with throat cancer, René died in their Las Vegas home in January 2016 at the age of 73.
Years later, Céline continues to keep him close to her heart. “He's still my husband,” she told People on June 12. In fact, the singer, 56, said she sees signs from René “all the time.”
It's a heartbreaking sentiment coupled with Céline's ongoing battle with the rare neurological disorder Stiff Person Syndrome, a diagnosis she opened up about in the vulnerable Prime Video documentary I Am: Céline Dion.
During her recent People interview, she told the outlet how her late husband helped her through medical visits — even eight years after his death.
“I'm still married to René. He's still my husband,” she said. “When we have to travel to my treatments to see my doctors, I always bring pictures [of him]. And we have pictures, of course, all over the place in the house.”
Céline also shed some insight on their final days together. “Even when they were very small, even when he was still with us in his bed in his room struggling, he was with us still,” she said. “[Our sons would tell him], 'Dad, we're going to be watching Ratatouille tonight, so I hope you like it.' They were talking to him, and they kiss the pictures.”
The French Canadian singer added: “He's their dad, and he's my husband, and he will always be.”
Speaking on the Today show in 2021, the Grammy-winning singer admitted to co-anchor Natalie Morales that she doesn’t know if there will ever be a special someone in her life again. Still, her life feels just as complete with her three sons she shares with her late husband: René-Charles, Nelson and Eddy.
Over the past few years, Céline had the unique opportunity to spend more time at home with her family due to the coronavirus pandemic. Like the rest of the entertainment industry, her touring schedule was impacted and put on hold. This gave her moments of solitude to reflect on how René lives on.
“Losing my husband, for my kids to lose their father, it was quite something,” she said on the Today show. “I feel like René has given me so much through the years and still today. I see my kids. I look at them — we live with him. We still live with him. He's part of our lives every day, so I have to say that I feel very, very strong.”
This isn't the first time the “Because You Loved Me” vocalist has been asked if she’s ready to fall in love again. In 2019, she sat down with Today show's Sheinelle Jones and said she needed more time.
“I don't date. I'm not ready to date,” she said on the NBC outlet. “I'm very lucky and happy to have so many people in my surrounding to make me — they make me laugh.”
In 2022, Céline penned a tribute to her late husband to mark the sixth anniversary of his death.
“I would be lying if I said I’m fine,” Céline wrote in part. “I think of you at least a hundred times, 'cause in the echo of my voice I hear your words just like you're there … I miss you – Céline xx …”
Selena is the entertainment and news editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers the latest on TV, movies and celebrities. In addition to writing and editing entertainment news, she also spotlights the Hispanic and Latinx community through her work. She is a graduate of CUNY Hunter College with a B.A. in journalism and creative writing.
Jacqueline (she/her) was a commerce editor for Good Housekeeping from 2021 to 2024. Prior to joining GH, she was a style and beauty reviews fellow at Insider, testing viral trends, reviewing sustainable brands and more. She's a graduate of the University of Florida's School of Journalism, with a specialty in magazines and mass communication.
