The girl from a large family met the producer in 1980 when she was 12 years old, and he was 38. René even mortgaged his own house to finance Celine’s first recordings. With the help of her manager, she achieved global fame, becoming one of the most successful pop music performers in history. Their romantic relationship was made public in 1987 when Celine turned 19.
On December 17, 1994, Dion and Angélil married at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada. On their 30th wedding anniversary, the singer shared wedding photos with her husband. In the photos, she is seen in a stunning white lace and satin dress with a deep neckline and a sparkling headpiece with a traditional white veil. Celine made a heartfelt tribute to her beloved: “You still fill our hearts every day. You are everything to us. We miss you so much. Happy 30th anniversary, my love!” Dion wrote.
In 1999, at the peak of her success, the artist announced a career break to start a family and spend time with her husband, who had been diagnosed with cancer. With the help of IVF, Celine gave birth to three sons — 23-year-old René-Charles and 14-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy.
In 2013, another tumor was discovered in Angélil. Celine announced that she would pause her career indefinitely. On January 14, 2016, René Angélil passed away from throat cancer at the age of 73 in their Las Vegas home after a prolonged battle with the illness. For the Eurovision winner of 1988, it was a double blow, as just two days later, her 59-year-old brother Daniel also died from cancer of the throat, tongue, and brain.
Earlier, Celine admitted that she had hidden the details of her relationship with René to avoid the public thinking it started before she was of legal age. “I was afraid of what people would think. When you’re in love, you want to shout it out to the world. When I reached the age where I could tell people we were together, it was like an explosion! Love always wins!” she wrote in her memoirs.
Recently, Celine has rarely performed. In December 2022, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called Stiff-Person Syndrome. The disease causes the muscles to gradually become increasingly stiff, which can lead to chronic pain and impaired mobility. The star undergoes regular medical treatments, but the disease is considered incurable.
