SHOCKING NEWS: ‘My Late Husband’s Last Wishes’ – Celine Dion Reveals, and the Final One Will Surprise You
Celine Dion’s romance with her late husband René Angélil demonstrated the true power of love. Her life and career, deeply intertwined with Angélil’s influence, are showcased in her new Prime Video documentary, I Am: Celine Dion. A significant part of her success is credited to Angélil, whom she considered her soulmate.
Angélil discovered Dion when she was just 12 years old in Quebec, Canada, where he was a 38-year-old record producer. The two officially began dating when she turned 19 and he was 47, going public with their relationship in 1993. They married a year later and remained inseparable. Angélil was the only man the “My Heart Will Go On” singer ever kissed and loved. He acted as her manager and bandleader until 2014, when he stepped down due to a serious health diagnosis.
Reflecting on her husband’s enduring influence, Dion told People: “I feel like René has given me so much through the years, and still today. I see my kids, and we live with him. He’s still part of our lives every day, so I have to say that I feel very strong.”
How did Celine Dion’s husband die?
René Angélil passed away from throat cancer on January 14, 2016, just two days before his 74th birthday. He was surrounded by loved ones at his home in Las Vegas. He is survived by his five children: Jean-Pierre (born 1974) and Anne-Marie Angélil (born 1977) from two previous marriages, and René-Charles (born 2001), as well as twins Eddy and Nelson (born 2011) with Dion.
Angélil’s funeral was held at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, where he and Dion were married 21 years earlier. Tragically, Dion’s brother Daniel died of cancer on what would have been Angélil’s birthday. Angélil was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 1999 and successfully recovered, but the disease returned in 2013, on their wedding anniversary.
The Because You Loved Me singer revealed her husband’s final wish: “I’d say, ‘Are you scared? I understand. Talk to me about it.’ And René would say to me, ‘I want to die in your arms.’ Okay, fine, I’ll be there. You’ll die in my arms.”
Life After René
Years after his passing, Dion continues to honor her husband every day. In a 2024 interview with People, she shared: “I’m still married to René. He’s still my husband. When I travel for treatment or to see doctors, I always bring pictures of him. Our house is filled with photos of him.”
She added: “Even when my kids were very small, and René was still with us in his bed struggling, he was with us. They’d tell him, ‘Dad, we’re going to watch Ratatouille tonight, hope you like it.’ They would talk to him and kiss his pictures.”
When Dion was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, her first concern was how it would affect her children. “At one point, I could barely walk, and I missed living so much. My kids started to notice. I told them, ‘You already lost your dad, but mom has a condition, and it’s different. I’m not going to die. This is something I’ll learn to live with.’”
