Céline Dion Says She's 'Not Ready to Date' After Death of Husband but Admits 'I Miss Being Touched'
Céline Dion is opening up about her desires for romance, even though she’s still not dating after the devastating death of her husband, René Angélil.
In an interview with Today that aired Wednesday, the 51-year-old singer revealed that she’s still single but longs for the things that come with being in a relationship.
“I don’t date. I’m not ready to date,” Dion admitted. “I’m so lucky to have so many people surround me who make me laugh, but I miss to be touched. I miss to be hugged. I missed to be told I’m beautiful. I miss what a boyfriend and what a husband would do.”
Dion and Angélil were married for 22 years before he succumbed to his battle with throat cancer at the age of 74 in January 2016.
They knew one another for much longer, Angélil managing her career since 1980, when she was 12.
That closeness leaves Dion — who had three kids with Angélil: René-Charles, 18, and twins Eddy and Nelson, 8 — still thinking about her late husband every day.
“Before I talk, he goes through my mind,” she said on Today. ‘Would he do that? Is it too edgy? Would he be approving that?’ I believed in him so much and I still do.”
Still, Dion knows she needs to move on. “There’s a point where he’s not here anymore,” she said. “I have to take charge of my life.”
The first step to doing that comes in the form of new music, particularly her upcoming twelfth English-language studio album, Courage.
Out Nov. 15, the LP will be Dion’s first English album without Angélil.
“When I say, ‘without René’ it’s without René physically, because René will always be part of me,” Dion told Today.
Dion has debuted three new songs from the album including the title track “Courage,” “Lying Down” (which she previously teased during a Carpool Karaoke segment with James Corden) and the lead single “Imperfections.”
The album’s title comes from the emotions Dion has been feeling after Angélil’s death.
“‘Courage’ was representing the whole losing my husband, losing my manager — my kids losing their father — and to find the strength to keep going because I wanted to,” she said. “It’s life and I know that right now the courage that I have, he has given it to me all my life.”
RELATED: Céline Dion Debuts 3 New Songs from Upcoming Album Courage as She Kicks Off World Tour
“I was born for this.” Watch @celinedion’s full exclusive interview with @sheinellejones about her new album, first tour since losing her husband three years ago and more. pic.twitter.com/xZvkoTxhSf
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 18, 2019
Elsewhere in her chat with Today, Dion recalled the final text message she got from Angélil.
“He called me before a show to give me a little message, ‘I love you,’ ” Dion said. “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. And the next morning, he was gone.”
“We talked before. He sent me a text message. So we said goodbye,’ Dion said.
She saved the text “of course.”
Asked if she still looks at it, Dion said, “Yes I do.”
Today airs weekdays (beginning at 7 a.m. ET) on NBC.
