Celine Dion has always impressed me as a person who shows her true self. She not only discusses most aspects of her life honestly, she does so with raw emotion. Tragically, Celine lost two members of her family last week. Last Thursday, Céline Dion’s husband of 21 years, René Angélil, passed away after struggling with throat cancer. The following day, we were shocked to learn that Celine’s 59-year-old brother, Daniel, was dying of brain, throat and tongue cancer. One day after the announcement, on what would have been René’s 74th birthday, Daniel died. People Magazine put Celine on the cover this week and reports on her grief.
Since she was 12 years old, Céline Dion has had René Angélil by her side as both a mentor and as her partner in life.
With three sons (René-Charles, 15, and 5-year-old twins Eddy and Nelson) between them, the singer and Angélil – who died Thursday at 73 after a long battle with throat cancer – “were so much on the same wavelength,” says producer and friend Ken Ehrlich.
“Her heart is in pieces,” says a source close to the singer, 47, who also lost her brother Daniel two days after Angélil died. “She’s extremely heartbroken.”
In the last year, the singer rarely left her husband’s side. Angélil relied on a feeding tube, and had both “good and bad days,” says the source. “Some days he could get up and walk around the room, play with the kids. Some days he was too tired.”
“She didn’t travel anywhere,” adds the source. “She wanted to be with him 24/7 in case anything happened.”
On the day he died, Dion was at home with their three children, says the source. Angélil’s funeral – taking place at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal where the couple wed 21 years ago – is set for Friday.
Friends say that Angélil’s death came as a shock to the family. Though his health had been deteriorating – he relied on a feeding tube to eat – he had business meetings planned for the day he died and was still giving her ideas for performances. “It was business as usual,” says the source close to the singer… “They’ve been living every hour at a time until the end,” says Annie Horth, Dion’s longtime stylist and friend.
René prepared [everything] the last few months with Céline.” Horth says. “He didn’t know when it would happen, but he really wanted everything to be prepared. She’s going through it peacefully and with control.”
As Dion grieves the loss of both her husband and her brother and begins to navigate life without the love of her life by her side, her focus is on the center of her and Angélil’s world: their children. “René-Charles, being a teenager, has had a more difficult time with the situation than the twins, who are so young,” says the source. “She’s extremely heartbroken, but she’s very good and has always been about putting on a brave face.” Even as he knew the end was nearing, Angélil was determined to stay positive – a sentiment that will carry on even after his death. “He would want her to keep going,” says the source. “He wants her to perform and come back. That’s what René would want, and he probably knows that’s what she needs too, to perform. He knew her better than anybody. They were great partners in life and business.”
[From People Magazine, online and print edition]
“Friends say that Angélil’s death came as a shock to the family,” this sentence hits me in the gut. Nothing can truly prepare you, no matter how long you’ve known. Celine has an open book policy regarding her life. She has addressed her difficulty with fertility and pregnancy, working on her marriage and René’s illness and decline. Because Celine allowed everyone into her life in this way, many felt as though we were going through it with her.
To honor René’s desire for her to go on performing, Céline will return to work next month in Las Vegas. That first show will likely be very difficult for her but I imagine she will have enormous support from fans.
Rene’s passing and David Bowie’s death have brought awareness to end-of-life planning, something that many families are unaware of until it is too late. I think it is such an important step to take.
Photo credit: People Magazine, FameFlynet
So sad
Celine is clearly so grief-stricken, but even still, the day before René’s funeral, there was an open casket viewing for the public. Hundreds of people here in Montreal lined up to pay their respects, and Celine was there to greet every person who came. She shook hands, chatted for a few minutes at times, and gave big hugs to people who were there to give her support. She was originally only supposed to stay for 30 minutes, but ended up staying for over 2 hours to make sure she thanked everybody. I was so impressed by that. She truly is a lovely, caring and genuine person. I hope she’ll be able to pull through this and find a way to enjoy her life again somehow, without the love of her life at her side.
Even when one’s death is imminent, when it happens, those remaining behind are still shocked. Her husband was her mentor as well and I’m sure he gave her strength which will sustain her during her time of sorrow. She has children that depend upon her and will look to her for answers….she seems like a strong woman and will live through this with hope. I don’t know why I’m so sure of this, she just seems like a fighter to me. Her heart will go on and on..
Absolutely heartbreaking. I cannot imagine what Celine is going through right now but my thoughts are with her.
Just as an aside, if anyone is reading this and is experiencing any unusual health symptoms that seem out of the norm, please go get it checked out. Cancer can strike at any age unfortunately 🙁
i don’t think I could bear to lose my husband or my brother, let alone both in such a short time. How does your heart even hold so much grief?
I completely agree. I couldn’t ever breath properly for a month and my heart was shattered into pieces after my stillborn. I can’t even imagine losing your love AND a brother in the same week. I’d probably go crazy for a while. My heart goes out to her during this immensely difficult time.
I’m so sorry about your baby. I hope you have found a way to live in peace with that sorrow. My heart goes out to you.
so, so sorry for your loss…I don’t think there’s a loss quite as heart-wrenching as the loss of a child. 🙁
@ GNAT, Julid: Happened 7 years ago. Most recently I can now openly talk about it and without tears. Big step for me. Thank you!
I just noticed the small picture on the cover with Celine, her husband and three sons. And wow, do the twins (Nelson and Eddy) ever look like Rene Charles (her oldest) when he was that age. Same face, same long dark hair. I hope her family (she was one of 13) and her kids are a comfort to her now.
Speaking of end-of-life planning, there is speculation that Bowie was able to choose his date of death, which is intriguing. Personally, if you are terminal, I’m all for having that level of control and I hope in my lifetime it becomes the norm.
I agree- your conscious mind can accept matters, but it’s still devastating when your loved one passes. Like someone told me, it’s takes a while for your heart to catch up
with your head. I can’t imagine two such losses so close together. I am happy to see (hope?) she has such strong support.
I forgot she went so light (her hair), the darker suits her better. In terms of her personal situation: yes she has a support system, money and the support of others in Montreal and many in other parts of the world and yes it was sad her husband died of cancer (and her brother) however her husband died at almost 74 years of age. It’s considered a full life.
Her brother (that situation) is tragic. But remember Celine has more than most people (mentioned above) so let’s not forget that and go overboard with this story.
Age is irrelevant. Regardless of whether he was 74 or 104, it’s still extremely painful for those who love the person they lost. When my 72 year old mother died a few months ago not one of said, “Eh, well, she had a full life and other people die younger and that’s the real tragedy.”
I saw people crying at my great grandmother’s funeral- she lived to age 94 and had a very comfortable life. It was ok certainly to cry at her funeral, but no one went “overboard” and yes I did acknowledge Celine’s sadness.
The “overboard” is having a lie in state usually reserved for govt officials directed connected to Presidents and PMs which appears to be the case in Montreal.
Try losing a much beloved spouse and sibling at the same time before accusing her of “going overboard”. We can’t know how other people suffer when something like this happens, and I couldn’t imagine what losing a life partner could be like at any age. Age isn’t the issue, the love they shared and the companionship they had is. Furthermore, Celine and Renee are adored by everyone in Quebec so holding a visitation in the church where they married is a wonderful way for their legion of fans to pay their respects to the family.
Jaded
I agree with you ie- a visitation in the church where they married is really beautiful but it goes way over the line when the police and others (govt) then lay it (police escorts, private jets, limos) all on CDN taxpayers. Ask Celine if she covered all of it out of her own pocket? I’d like to know the answer. If she did, then I back off one hundred percent. But then they’re still using police time/resources which means the real needy of society are waiting longer to receive police attention. If they wanted all this hoopla in Quebec then maybe they should have stayed living and working in Quebec full time?
@Citresse – then blame the Couillard government, not Celine.
Having money doesn’t make you immune from personal pain, doesn’t lift you above it all. It’s truly disgusting, imo, and dehumanizing of their family to intimate that. Sheesh.
As to age at passing…sure, those who lived longer got to experience more, both in their own lives and the lives of others; it still does not eliminate the fact that, because they were loved and cared about immensely by someone else, those people will now be saddened they are no longer physically here. A person’s grief is their own, naturally, but looking with disparagement upon someone who is in pain is what I find appalling. You must be a joy to be around.
workdog
Read exactly what I wrote. If you ever wrote an essay it would be a joy to read, (not.) People focused on dollars, that wasn’t the part I focused on. It was a part of her support system. And speaking of support system, especially the taxpayers, congratulations, you made Celine’s pain more tolerable out of your own pocket whether you wanted to or not.
There were people in the UK who wanted the whole Diana died period of time (mourning) to move on especially after a few months and they were shamed. I support those who want a period of time to mourn, but it doesn’t mean I have to pay for it literally. The next thing will be a statue somewhere in Quebec and they’ll lay that on Canadian taxpayers too claiming it’s also a Federal matter.
Money doesn’t make the hurt any less.
I didn’t write that money makes pain more tolerable.
How would you like it if you lost your entire family and were jobless also? There is a wide spectrum of what life can throw at you. There are cases where a lie in state is suitable and in this case, I don’t believe it was the right choice especially when/for for all intents and purposes, Celine and her husband made their choices clear especially with regard to where they spent much of their time and money.
I think its rude to bring up the fact that she is rich, so her suffering is somehow ‘lesser’ then others. She lost her husband and brother a day apart. He was the love of her life and the father of her kids. Show some respect. She is allowed to feel sadness.
She is allowed to feel sadness, but when I compare it to my work colleague who recently died of cancer at the age of 40 leaving a 6 year old behind who won’t have her mother anymore, then no it is not the same. Death is a part of life, but there are differences in terms of who was able to live a full life and who did not.
I am generally highly critical of the wealthy, but this is the one way in which we are all equal. What a horrible thing to say. If I lost my husband and a sibling? My life would be in shambles.
Horrific.I am so sorry for her and her family. I pray for her and their kids, and her brother’s family as well.
My Dad died of an aneurysm seven years ago next week when I was 27 and now I’m watching my mother disappear into the haze of dementia. You’re never prepared for it when it finally comes because it’s so final. I always share the advice on grieving that my PhD adviser gave me at the time: “At first, you cry every day and then every other day. Then, you might cry just a few times or once a week and then once-a-month. Eventually, you stop crying but you remember them at some point in every day, they’re never gone.”
Wishing she and her sons peace, love and comfort during this time. She has her three precious children, her family, and so much love. I wish her the very best.
I feel for u as I too am watching my mother disappear to dementia but please remember that somewhere in her mind she still knows who you and ur family are even if she can’t always articulate that. My mothers dementia is advanced and she can’t communicate clearly most of the time but she also has her moments of clarity which are blessings and a heartbreak at the same time as she knows what’s happening.
Anyway, my prayers go to Celine and her family.
<3 <3 <3 Thank you, Betti.
@edie & Betti,
Im sorry to hear this. My thoughts are with you and your mothers.( Dementia is something I’ve been studying lately).
Damn this awful disease.. I just hope to see the day it’ll be defeated once and for all.
Two terrible losses almost simultaneously! My heart goes out to her.
I’m not exactly a fan of Celine’s music, but, as a person, she has always impressed me. I concur – very sincere, and very down to earth. She has a huge likeability factor with me. So very sad for her and her three boys. I’ve lost family members (too many) to the horrendous “C”. Condolences to her. Fair seas, sweet French-Canadian lady.
I wish this sad barrage of celebrity deaths/losses would usher in a new focus on grief and grieving. It is terrible how isolating bereavement is in a culture/society that doesn’t want to be reminded of death. It sucks enough to experience the death of a loved one, but realizing how quickly you are expected to stop talking about it is heartbreaking.
My heart hurts for her. I can’t even imagine.
I remember watching her perform with Michael Buble for the Christmas special and she seemed reeeally emotional and I remember reading how he was not doing well and how she was at his bedside, and how he was nearing the end….it made me really hurt for her and the rest of the families. What an amazingly strong soul she was to still perform. How hard it must be for those families of the dear ones we’ve lost recently during the Christmas holidays we’ve just celebrated. My heart goes out to them all.
I absolutely adore Celine Dion. I think she is a beautiful, honest and kind hearted person and her grief breaks my heart. She greeted fans for two hours today at Rene’s visitation, despite the visible pain she was in – she still put others before herself. She is a class act and I hope that she knows how much she and Rene are loved. It’s going to be tough road for her without her husband but she has three beautiful, loving reminders of him – their three sons.