Celine Dion had to "rebuild" her "second half" following the death of her husband, René Angélil.

Celine Dion

Celine Dion

The 'My Heart Will Go On' hitmaker tragically lost her spouse in January 2016, and has said his death was "tough" to deal with because they had lived as "one", and so losing him meant she was "just one half" of herself.

René's passing also meant Celine became a single mother to their children - René-Charles, 19, and nine-year-old twins Eddy and Nelson - and so had to pick herself up and "rebuild" herself for their sake.

Speaking in a new Apple Music clip which went behind the scenes of her 2019 album 'Courage', she said: "I've been going through tough times. The loss of René, realising that I was going to be a single mom. Him and I we were one person, we were one. So when he passed away, I kind of felt for a moment that there was just one half of me.

"Am I just not going to go on anymore? Or am I going to say, 'I'm a warrior, I'm a mother, I have strength and I'm going to show them that I can do this.'

"I've decided to rebuild my second half."

Meanwhile, Celine recently said she's found "independence" since being made a single mother four years ago.

She explained: "I feel good these days. It's no secret that I've gone through some tough times, obviously losing my husband and my brother a few years ago, and my mother very recently.

"Life presents challenges to us and we try to find ways to move on.

"Music can be a healing force, and the songs on my new album have helped me find new strength in my life ... and perhaps a bit more independence, because I'm the head of the household now.

"I've got sole responsibility for my children, and you find out more things about yourself when you're in that situation."

The 52-year-old singer also lost her mother, Theresa, earlier this year, and she paid a touching tribute to her "hero" and role model.

She added: "My mother was an amazing woman. Along with my father, she raised 14 children.

"We didn't have any money growing up, but our house was rich with love and affection.

"She was a great musician, and she loved to sing. She wrote my very first song. She was an amazing cook. She was incredibly funny and loved to laugh.

"She was my hero. I miss her so much... we all do!"


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