Inside Celine Dion’s Close Relationship With Her Oldest Son René-Charles Angélil

Fans of Celine Dion know about the special bond she had with her late husband, René Angélil, and that love continued on with their first son, René-Charles Angélil. After struggling to conceive for years, Dion finally became pregnant by way of in vitro fertilization. The “All By Myself” singer and her former manager welcomed René-Charles on January 25, 2001, and in an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” she gushed, “When I heard the news, I was like — of course, he’s a miracle baby for us. It’s a dream come true in many ways. I will never be the same person anymore.”

Dion embraced motherhood, and despite being a megastar, she was hands-on with her son. “I love being a mom — it relaxes me to read stories to him, do finger painting, play with Play-Doh. I think people have a hard time imagining I can have a normal life, but I do,” she told People in 2006. At the time, she had a residency in Las Vegas, but her main focus was on René-Charles. “I am a full-time mom. That’s my priority. Then I go and sing a few songs at night,” she revealed. Now that René-Charles isn’t a kid anymore and has had a striking transformation, their relationship has grown, and it’s clear that Dion’s firstborn is always there for his mom.

Celine Dion’s husband, René Angélil, sadly died from throat cancer in 2016. During that difficult time, their son, René-Charles Angélil, was only 15 years old, but he stood strong in the wake of tragedy. “Fifteen years is not a long time for a son to get to know his father. You had a busy life, but we were communicating through golf, hockey, poker, and smoked meat,” he shared during his eulogy, according to CBC. As the audience laughed at the last part, Dion proudly looked on and smiled.

As reported by People, René-Charles was a pillar of support for his mom during the visitation of his late father. Dion was seen holding tightly to his arm as the two left the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada. Three years later, the “My Heart Will Go On” singer shared on “Lorraine” (via Good Morning America), “His dad’s sending him good energy. I told him that I will always have my heart and my hand for him to hold onto because we love him so much and we wish him the best in whatever he decides to do in life, as long as he’s happy because he’s a great human being.”

With Celine Dion’s talent, it’s no surprise that her son René-Charles Angélil has some musical skills as well. When he was 17 years old, he secretly recorded and then released two rap songs as Big Tip. The tunes topped SoundCloud’s Canadian R&B charts in 2018, and Angélil’s secret was out. “I played it to her for the first time [Wednesday]. I just felt like keeping it on the low. But she loved it,” he revealed. The recording artist went on to say that his mom was shocked when he told her that he was at the top of the charts and asked why he hadn’t told her. “But she’s very supportive of my passion for this,” he added. But don’t call Angélil a nepo baby. Instead of using Dion’s name to get ahead in the business, he chose to get ahead in the industry purely based on his talents. He told the outlet, “At the end of the day, that’s what matters to me the most: to make a name for myself.”

René-Charles released his first EP early in 2021, and Dion couldn’t help gushing about him in her Instagram Stories, as shared by CBC. “I’m so proud of my son. My love for him is so strong, and it touches me deeply that one of his passions is also one of mine,” she wrote.