Celine Dion Opens Up About Preparing Sons For Husband Rene Angelil’s Death

Celine Dion, leading up to her husband Rene Angelil’s inevitable death, had to not only prepare herself for his passing, but to prepare their sons.

Celine Dion On Rene Angelil’s Death

While Dion and Angelil’s eldest son, Rene-Charles, is 15, they are also parents to 5-year-old twin boys Eddy and Nelson. In an effort to prepare them for their father’s death, Dion called upon the 2009 Disney/Pixar movie Up.  “I said, ‘You know, today, papa went up. Because papa was very sick,'” Dion said on Good Morning America, adding that she was careful to explain to the boys the difference between everyday illnesses and the cancer that was taking their father.

When it looked like Angelil’s time was almost up, Dion arranged for Eddy and Nelson to talk to their dad outside, bringing with her balloons and pixie dust. “We’re going to say ‘Papa we love you, have a good up,'” Dion said she told them. When Angelil died, the singer said, “The only thing I wanted is for them to say is up. Up is a good thing. Up is uplifting,” she said.

As for her own final moments with Angelil, Dion, 48, wanted to put his mind at ease about how she and the children would do without him. “I started to talk to him and I said ‘You know what? I want you to just go in peace. I want you to not worry,'” she said. “You were worrying for my career. You were worrying for the children. You were worrying for everything. It’s enough. Do you trust me? Please do. Trust me. The kids are fine. I’m fine. I promise you we’re going to be OK. Please leave in peace.”

Angélil died Jan. 14 at the age of 73 after a long battle with throat cancer.