‘I have to take charge of my life’: Celine Dion opens up on dating life

It’s been years since she mourned the death of her loving husband René but Celine Dion has claimed she’s “not ready to date” and instead is using her time to focus on her children and successful singing career.

Back in 2016 René sadly passed away after a battle with throat cancer and since then the talented singer has remained single, unable to pursue a new love interest. While she has remained private about any potential relationships in the past, Celine opened up in a recent interview on America’s Today show, admitting she does miss having a partner but it’s not time to begin something new.

“I don’t date,” she happily declared on the program this week. “I’m not ready to date. I’m very lucky and happy to have so many people in my surrounding to make me – they make me laugh, but I miss to be touched.

“I miss to be hugged. I miss to be told ‘you’re beautiful’. I miss what a boyfriend and I miss what a husband would do.”

Although three years have passed since René’s death, Celine continued by explaining that not a day goes by where she doesn’t think of him. She said she often recalls one of the last conversations the two shared before he took his last breath.

“He called me before a show and give me a little message: ‘I love you’ and when I came home that night, it was very, very late … And I didn’t want to come and wake him up to give him a kiss, to wake him up and then he can’t find sleep again,” she explained on Today. “And the next morning, he was gone. So, we talked before. And he send me a text message. So we said goodbye.”

After 22 years of marriage Celine said René will always be a part of her in some way or another and even when making new music, like her latest album, she thinks of what her late husband would say. Speaking about her new collection to coincide with an upcoming tour the 51-year-old explained on Today: “This is my first English album without René. When I say without René, without René physically, because René will always be a part of me.”

She added: “Before I talk he goes through my mind. ‘Would he do that? Is it too edgy? Would he be like approving that?’ I believed in him so much. And I still do. But there’s a point that he’s not here anymore. I have to take charge of my life.”

Celine’s latest interview comes months after the star’s friends published an open letter to her rumoured boyfriend Pepe Munoz shutting down false rumours that the backup dancer has been allegedly isolating the star from her loved ones. Page Six published a story that alleged the 51-year-old singer’s inner circle were worried Pepe, 34, who is also her creative director, was “taking over” her life ever since husband Rene Angelil passed away in 2016.

However, in a statement released on Celine’s Instagram page days later – directly addressed to Pepe – several members of her team slammed the “untruthful” report, saying that they were “saddened and disappointed”.

“Dear Pepe, as the real members of Celine’s ‘inner circle,’ we are saddened and disappointed by an untruthful story that surfaced in the media on Monday, quoting multiple sources who claim they are part of the inner circle and that you have too much influence over Celine, and that you are isolating her,” the statement from Celine’s team read.

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“These ‘sources’ have nothing better to do than to spread untrue gossip. Don’t let it get you down… and keep up the great work. We love you!” The letter was signed off by the singer’s ‘inner circle’ including Dave, Dee, Denis, Lina, Michel, Naomi, Suzanne, Sydney, Sylvie and Yves.

The Page Six story allegedly sourced members of Celine’s ‘inner circle’, who claimed “he’s fully taken over”.“She’s in love with this guy and listens to everything he’s saying. People go to him when they have questions,” one source claimed. “He’s fully taken over. The only people around her now [are] Pepe, the hairdresser, and the stylist.”

Celine and Pepe’s close friendship has been the centre of attention for nearly two years now, with many fans wondering if they’re romantically involved. However, in April this year, the famed singer shut down those rumours, claiming he is her “best friend”.

She told Extra: “Pepe is gay. At first, I think some people did not know that. The thing is that he’s my best friend and we dance together and he did so much for me and even just holding my hand… it’s something that I haven’t had for a long time. He did so much for me, for my mental health, my spirituality, my strength – my inner strength.”