Celine Dion is still very much grieving the loss of her husband, René Angélil, who died last year from throat cancer. I don’t think that really surprises anyone, Celine and René’s lives intersected in every way, they were married for 21 years, parents to three boys and René managed and guided her career since she was 12 years old. Because of this, Celine has not yet let René go enough to date someone else. He is still very much present in her life, right down to advising her from beyond the grave.
As far as she is concerned Rene Angelil, who died of throat cancer at 73 last year, is still with her at virtually every moment — when she’s on stage, when she’s making new music and, most importantly, when she’s with her three children.
“I think I will probably grieve for the rest of my life,” she says of her fellow Canadian, who was 26 years her senior.
But she adds with a hopeful smile: “Rene has prepared me for all my life since I’m 12.
“I have never met another man in my life, never kissed another man in my life.“I miss him a lot. I miss him a lot — for my partner, for the man I was embracing, kissing, making love with. My worries, my dreams . . . ”
Celine still relies on Rene’s advice, too, consulting with a portrait of him recently that was painted by a fan when she had to decide whether to record a new song for Disney’s hit Beauty And The Beast remake.
She recalls: “I went and found one of the paintings that one of the fans gave me of my husband and I said, ‘Should I do this?’
“And the answer I got back — I don’t want that to sound like ghostly or anything like that — but emotionally what I got back from that was, ‘You have nothing to lose’.”
There is a deep sadness watching Celine sing lyrics to her famous song My Heart Will Go On — the theme to Titanic — which she admits now has a different meaning to her.
But when I ask if her heart will go on one day, by finding a new love, she shakes her head forcefully then says: “Now it is definitely too soon for me. I am definitely in love with him (Rene), married to him.
“He’s the love of my life. It’s very difficult for me to see myself with another person. The love that I have for him, I live it every day. And as a woman, we do have emotions and feelings that come and go. And it’s always with him.
“When I sing, it’s with him. When I hug my kids, it’s for him and it’s with him. I took time to grieve and I’m still grieving.”
Because Celine was 12 and René was 38 when they met, many want to tar him with the Svengali brush. I used to be one of them but no longer. It’s unusual, certainly, but Celine was obviously very happy in her marriage and she clearly misses him for all the reasons one misses a partner. René also empowered Celine. Before he died, he educated Celine in all aspects of the business rather than find someone to replace him in his role. Plus, she’s said repeatedly that she knows she has to be the strength of the family and is trying hard to make sure René-Charles does not feel like he has to assume a parental role to replace his father. I wouldn’t be surprised if she never remarried but whatever she ultimately does, I’m glad she is taking her time. She needs to breath and find out who she is now, on her own. Celine wears her emotions on her sleeve but she’s not naïve.
Kaiser linked Celine’s performance at the Bee Gee tribute last Sunday, did any of you see it? I have a borderline obsession with the Bee Gees. It’s hard to explain, just know that I have three pieces of matching furniture in my house named after them. Like we say “Can you hand me my glasses? They’re on Robin.” So imagine my reaction to Celine singing Immortality for Barry and dedicating it to Robin, Maurice, Andy as well as her brother, Daniel, and René. She paired her performance with video of the Brothers singing it so she was collaborating with them in this ethereal homage. Then she walks down the stairs and Barry’s singing along and I’m trying to hear the song over my sobs – here, just watch for yourself:
Céline Dion – Immortality (LIVE HD Bee Gees Tribute) from Fabrice-CélineDion-Fanpage on Vimeo.
These boots!
Photo credit: WENN Photos
That is so lovely and sad at the same time. I’m usually not one for these kinds of displays of emotion because it seems to private but when she talks like that, it seems perfectly obvious that this is how you deal with things.
I used to be one of those who side eyed Rene and the fact that he groomed her and then married her and it took me a long time to realize that this couple had a relationship, a marriage and a love that so few people in this life will ever know or ever see. It is a beautiful thing and I’m over the fact that they’d known each other since she was 12.
I honestly don’t know that she will ever move on. She may just live the rest of her life with a broken heart. I hope she doesn’t because she’s so young and deserves love again.
I love Celine, truly iconic. But perhaps, she has kissed another woman lol For years there has been speculation and articles about her constant female companion.
Don’t get why she doesnt just say she’s bi, gay whatever she is. Makes it seem shameful when its hidden away, and before I get slammed for not giving celebrities privacy, she lives in the public realm and has no issue with discussing her life with her husband/boys.
You are ridiculous if you think every gay (or some other) rumor about celebrities are true and even more so if you judge them based on the rumors.
Oh get a grip.
Her singing still gives me chills. I love it.
And that’s how you start off your morning crying. Oh Celine 🙁
What a beautiful tribute. I’m crying like sh*t. I love love love Céline, she is realness and badassery personnified.
In some ways she was her husband’s golden goose. He started influencing her when she was very young and she’s been under his spell ever since. It must be a bit scary … like a teenager thinking about dating for the first time.
Yeah. He groomed her, basically.
So very sad…I find it very touching that fans are sending her portraits they painted of Renee, so thoughtful
she is seriously the best. makes me proud to be from a Canadian father and have Canadian roots on both sides of my family.
I found this instagram and it makes me laugh every day:
https://www.instagram.com/celinedionthejob/
she is such a character.
She’s so talented and genuine. Love her!
also, i love Travolta as an audience member. he’s so attentive and is the firs to clap at big moments.
This is very sweet and romantic but yeah i still think it’s gross he married someone 26 years younger who he met and groomed to be perfect for him since she was 12. It would be different if he met her when she was well into her 20’s but he started romancing her as a teen when he was in his 40’s. She has never known anything else, never kissed anyone else, and we have to pretend that sounds healthy? Again her tribute to him is very sweet and I don’t doubt their love, but I still feel it was super skeevy what he did and I can’t not side-eye it forever. I almost wonder if it’s also a form of stockholm syndrome and she might feel differently about it all in a few years when she dates someone else where the power balance is completely different.
Superficial note: Wow Celine looks amazing!
+1. 12 & 38. My niece is 12. She is a baby believing in fairies. No.
My son is 13 and if a 38 year old woman came sniffing around him, I’d cave her face in.
thank you pinetree.
I didn’t want to be the downer, but many victims ‘love’ their abusers.
trauma bonds are still bonds
how deeply she loves him doesn’t rewrite their history, it doesn’t make his predation any better. I hold nothing against her though, and her grief is very real, and her love is as well.
How he got her to love him is the problem.
On the superficial, her hair makes me super jelly.
When I read “she has never kissed another man”, my heart sank. He really did groom her from an early age and obviously prevented her from ever having any other boyfriend than him.
Agreed. We all know that Celine loved Rene dearly and together they created an empire along with a family that in all counts seems very functional, happy, and loving. However, that doesn’t erase the fact that Rene probably knew what he was doing all along when he groomed Celine as a child to be his in every aspect. His superstar and later his lover and wife. Simply because he succeeded and made her happy doesn’t make his intentions morally questionable. Who knows when he started eyeing her, lusting after her, then waiting around until she was old enough to seduce her. Of course it will be hard for her to move on. She gave everything to Rene and has never been with another man. It would not surprise me if she were fine with never dating unless there is a lot of coaxing from her friends and family to give someone else a chance to love her.
One thing that no one mentions is that Rene’ was a married man….with 2 children, and this was his second marriage. They began a relationship while he was still married. He mortgaged the house he lived in with his 2nd wife to manage Celine’s career. He took this 12 year old girl, and became her whole life, she never was able to have the experiences of a teenager.
Wow, they had a unique love story for sure, I no longer judge him for anything. Who knows, maybe he was really conflicted with his feelings, maybe he did groom her, either way it sounds like they shared a wonderful life together and I know she’s heartbroken. I can’t see her with anyone else. Her voice is so beautiful and powerful
Although I feel the age difference was appalling, I am going to set that aside for the moment.
They obviously loved each other deeply, and I feel greatly for her loss. My heart aches for her.
I am with a man that I have been with since age 19 (I am now 37) and I could not imagine losing him. I hope she can find companionship and happiness.
Although I feel awful for her that she lost her husband and brother in close succession, I was crying for Barry too. All his brothers gone… I have loved Celine’s version of this song for years and this was just sob-inducing
So tacky to ask someone who is newly widowed if they are ready to date yet. SO TACKY.
My dad has been gone almost twenty years. My mom said the second year was the hardest because you finish up all the estate/death stuff so you don’t have as much keeping you busy, it’s just really sinking in that he is gone, and people want you to be over it with questions like dating and such.