René-Charles Angélil: The Tragic, Real-Life Story Of Celine Dion's Eldest Son

On January 25, 2001, singing legend Celine Dion became a mom when her oldest son, René-Charles Angélil, was born. He was named after his father, Dion's husband René Angélil. The couple dealt with fertility issues, and Dion was elated by her son's birth. "He's a miracle baby for us," she informed Oprah Winfrey in 2002. "It's a dream come true in many ways. I will never be the same person anymore."

When René-Charles was growing up, Dion was a hands-on mom and she spent time reading and playing with him. On occasion, he got to watch his mom sing live. While this sounds like a pretty awesome childhood, René-Charles has also had his share of hardship. He was so inspired by his mom's music career that he decided to create his own songs when he was 17. Unbeknownst to Dion, René-Charles released his rap tunes on SoundCloud in 2018. He was deliberately secretive because he wanted to succeed on his own merits. Unfortunately, while two of the five songs charted at #1 and #2 (and earned Dion's approval), he got blasted by listeners for using Auto-Tune.

Not surprisingly, some critics also judged René-Charles harshly due to his parentage. "Do you have a special real talent or you're going to be always in your mom's shadow?!" one cruelly questioned on Instagram. However, this wasn't the first or the last time René-Charles dealt with a difficult life event.

Speaking to the Montreal Gazette in 2018 about his music, René-Charles Angélil noted, "All my lyrics are very personal." To that end, one of his songs, "Catwalks," has the line: "I ran out of tears when I was 16." Sadly, in 2016, just 11 days before he turned 15, René-Charles' father, René Angélil, died following a diagnosis of throat cancer. René dealt with multiple bouts of cancer, beginning before René-Charles was born.

At his dad's funeral, René-Charles took on the responsibility of delivering a eulogy, and he made his poignant speech before a packed crowd. He even got a laugh when he mentioned that he and his dad shared a love of smoked meat. "You left me now with enough good memories of you to share with my younger brothers," René-Charles pledged. "I'll make sure to pass on what I've learned from you." Sadly, his twin brothers, Nelson and Eddy Angélil, were 5 at the time.

While René-Charles also vowed to his dad the family would "live up to your standards," Celine Dion has emphasized compassion as she and her children have grieved together. "I never want him to feel the pressure that he's the man of the house," she explained to Extra when René-Charles was 16. "Your father is not here, but he's in your heart. He's always going to be supporting you in a different way."

In December 2022, Celine Dion revealed she had been suffering from long-standing health issues, which led to her diagnosis of an autoimmune neurological condition called stiff person syndrome. In addition to giving this candid explanation of her health challenges, she was equally open in her documentary "I Am: Celine Dion." She even watched a particularly harrowing scene where she's having a seizure with her twins, using it as a tool to better explain her medical condition to them. Since her oldest son René-Charles Angélil is nine years older than his brothers, he's been playing a visible role supporting his mom.

In February 2024, René-Charles walked onstage with Dion when she presented an award at the Grammys. A few months later, he joined her at the premiere of her documentary. René-Charles stood close by while his mom made a speech. As she spoke, Dion acknowledged her kids, saying, "I wouldn't be here without the daily love and support from my wonderful children." As she mentioned René-Charles by name, Dion looked to the side offstage and spoke to him directly. When Dion became teary as she thanked her fans, René-Charles thoughtfully stepped over to his mom's side, and nudged her gently so she would see he had a tissue for her. She thanked him with a kiss before he returned to the wings where he had been standing.