Céline Dion’s Late Husband René Angélil Mortgaged His House For The Then-12-Year-Old Despite Being Married To Someone Else

Oct 13, 2023

Canadian singer Céline Dion, 55, first rose to fame representing Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. She became internationally famous when she recorded the title track for Disney's animated film "Beauty and the Beast." Dion is best known for singing the hugely popular song "My Heart Will Go On" from the hit film "Titanic." The successful artist has also had a 16-year residency in Las Vegas.

Not only is she one of Canada's most popular musicians who has had astronomical worldwide record sales, but she is also a mother to three children. However, the star was met with tragedy when she lost her husband, René Angélil, to throat cancer in 2016. Angélil was 73 years old. Since then, Dion has been mourning the loss of her partner of 22 years, whom she first met when she was 12 years old and later got engaged to at 25.

Throughout Dion's life, the singer has paid tribute to her husband, dedicating songs to him and singing his praises in interviews with the press. Angélil entered into the singer's life as her manager and mentor, though their relationship turned romantic in 1987 following Angélil’s divorce from his second wife. 

In 1994, the couple got married in a wedding ceremony that was broadcast on Canadian television. Only five years later, Angélil was diagnosed with cancer for the first time. He would battle the disease for years until his death in 2016.

Dion and Angélil’s relationship was widely watched by the public. What some people may not know, though, is that Angélil mortgaged his home for Dion back when she was just 12 years old, and he was married to another woman.

According to Good Housekeeping, the singer first met her husband-to-be after one of her siblings sent a tape of a then 12-year-old singer to Angélil, a well-known music manager in Canada. Angélil, who was impressed, invited Dion for an audition, quickly leading to Dion releasing her first album under the French-Canadian manager. When Dion turned 19 in 1987, Angélil and Dion went on their first date together, which the singer revealed in the liner notes of the album "The Colour of My Love."

The couple eventually went from dating to being engaged in 1991. They said 'I do' in 1994 at a Montreal ceremony in the Notre-Dame Basilica. Hello Magazine reported that just one year after tying the knot, Dion shared, "I'm not surprised that we married each other because we have the same dreams. We have the same goals. We respect each other."

The Hollywood couple met in the entertainment industry when Dion was so young; Angélil was 26 years older than Dion. They received public backlash on their age gap, but the two didn't mind. David Foster, a music producer and a good friend of the couple — shared they were perfect together. 

"There was an age difference, but as with all great couples, whatever the discrepancies are in age, it just sort of melts away as the months and years go by. They just became Angélil and Celine," he shared. 

Aside from public backlash, the lovebirds received backlash from Dion's mother. The star singer had to convince her mother that their relationship was true love. In an exclusive interview with Access Hollywood, she admitted it was a difficult time.

"I was very frustrated and mad at her at first because I said, 'It's not just like a crazy thing. It's real!' But she tried to make understand that this kid tried twice before, he has three children, he's not responsible," she said. 

"He knows how it works in show business. But you're my daughter, you're my baby, and I want the perfect prince charming for you," she added. 

Dion and Angélil spent 21 years together before he passed away from cancer in 2016. Following his death, Celine still speaks about their once-in-a-lifetime love. 

In an interview with Today, Dion shared, "Losing my husband, for my kids to lose their father, it was quite something.” She added, "I feel like René has given me so much through the years and still today. I see my kids. I look at them — we live with him. We still live with him. He's part of our lives every day, so I have to say that I feel very, very strong."

Dion and her late husband shared three children. The icon also shared that following the death of her husband, she started taking her life day by day. 

Sadly, Dion has faced more challenges along the way. In December 2022, the singer announced she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome and had to cancel her tour.

“It’s heartbreaking that she has had to cancel touring but she is suffering mobility and other issues from the disease disrupting her daily life," a music source told PEOPLE. The source said Dion was leaning on her children during the tough time, as they “are her light right now.”

Nowadays, Dion lives in her $1.2 million estate amid her health complications, as per Hello! Magazine.

There is no denying that Dion and Angélil loved each other dearly. Several years before they became romantically involved, Angélil was simply someone who believed in Dion and the star power she held, even though she was just a mere child.

In an interview with the Montreal Gazette in 1991, Angélil talked about what it was like to discover Dion. “She was this homely little kid named Celine Dion. The mother did all the talking, and the girl never said a word,” he said. He spoke more about the then-12-year-old: 

“Then she started singing into a pencil, pretending it was a microphone. And what I heard was enough to make me cry. I heard a special voice like I had never heard before.”

According to PEOPLE, Angélil signed Dion and became her manager. He believed in her so much that he went as far as mortgaging his home in 1981 in order to fund Dion’s debut album. Dion had been just 12 years old at the time. Fortunately, the album went on to become a success in Quebec, where Dion had already started making waves as a performer.

“I promised her family I’d make her a vedette within five years. And I did,” Angélil said. He explained that he had called up an old friend, French songwriter Eddy Marnay, to help with the songwriting aspect of the album.

Angélil had also been married at the time and didn’t split with his second wife, Anne Renee, until 1985. His relationship with Dion turned romantic in 1987. Dion and Angélil went on to have a loving relationship together until Angélil’s heartbreaking death in 2016.

What do you think about Céline Dion and her late husband’s love story? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this along to your family, friends and any Céline Dion fans you know!