Celine Dion has faced life-changing hardships in her life. The renowned singer suffered the loss of her husband of 21 years, René Angélil, who lost his battle with throat cancer at 73.

Celine Dion and Rene Angelil in Canada in 1994, Rene Angelil | Source: Getty Images

Besides being her life partner, René also played the role of her manager. The couple’s love story dates back to when Celine was only 12. The singer had submitted a demo song she had written with her mother when René discovered her talent.The manager made it his life’s mission to make her a star. Before becoming a manager, René was in a Canadian pop-rock group called The Baronets. But after leaving the band, he built a successful career as a music manager.

Celine was also not his first wife; René was married twice, first to Denyse Duquette from 1966-1972, then to singer Anne Renée from 1974-1980.

The “I’m Alive” singer confessed that she started her career not knowing how to write songs, play an instrument, or read music. However, since she had an amazing manager, she was able to evolve into a multi-faceted singer.The couple did not start dating until Celine was a teenager. They kept their relationship under wraps because of her career and their 26-year age gap. For a while, Celine and her husband lived their life together in secret, but once they were free to speak about it felt even stronger. “It was like bang! Love! Love always wins,” she expressed.The “All by Myself” star and René married in 1994 and welcomed three children together. Their firstborn, René-Charles, arrived in 2001, and twins Nelson and Eddy in 2010. But after becoming a mother and topping the charts for many years, Celine still had a successful residency in Las Vegas, where she also moved her family.However, Celine had to step down from her performance duties, as she recently discovered that she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, which has forced her to reschedule all her 2024 tour dates.

Having her husband leave her was difficult for her and her children. More significantly, Celine has had to navigate life without the only man she had ever kissed. The family had to watch René suffer his cancer battle each day, so his passing also came with a bit of a relief. She expressed:

“So the man of my life was my partner, and we were one. So when he stopped suffering, I said to myself, he is okay. And he deserves not to suffer.”

When asked if she hoped to fall in love again, seeing as she is still young, Celine replied:

“I love. I love. I love him. I’m still in love with him. And I have the love of my children. I have the love of my fans. I love the people that I work with. So my life is not empty of love.”

However, throughout the ups and downs she has faced, Celine has kept her children’s lives private and rarely made public appearances with them. The singer is a devoted mother and has shared a few memorable moments with her children on social media.