Celine Dion’s Husband, Rene Angelil, Dies Following Cancer Battle

Celine Dion’s husband, Rene Angelil, has died after a long
battle with cancer.

“Rene Angelil, 73, passed away this morning as his home
in Las Vegas after a long and courageous battle against cancer,” a rep has
confirmed to Access Hollywood. “The family requests that their privacy be
respected at the moment; more details will be provided at a later time.”

A spokesperson for the Clark County Coroner’s office in
Nevada issued the following statement to Access on the cause of Rene’s death:

“Mr. Angelil, 73, died of throat cancer at his home in
Henderson while under that care of a physician. (The technical medical
description of the cause of death is squamous carcinoma of the floor of the
mouth.) We have determined Mr. Angelil’s death was due to natural causes. No
further investigation into his death is expected. Our condolences go out to Mr.
Angelil’s family and friends during this difficult time for them.”

In November, Celine spoke to Access Hollywood about her
husband’s condition.

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“He’s working really hard. He’s struggling, he wants he wants to get better so much,” she said at the time. “You know, for him to take a step and to try to get the stamina better, it takes a lot from him.  But he’s doing it.”

It was in August 2014 that Celine canceled a slate of scheduled performances to focus on Rene’s recovery, after doctors removed a cancerous tumor in December 2013.

“I want to devote every ounce of my strength and energy to my husband’s healing, and to do so, it’s important for me to dedicate this time to him and to our children,” Celine said in a statement at the time. “I also want to apologize to all my fans everywhere, for inconveniencing them, and I thank them so much for their love and support.”

Rene and Celine have three children together – son René-Charles, 14, and 5-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy. Rene also has two adult children from a previous relationship.

In the wake of Rene’s death, Celine has canceled this weekend’s scheduled performances at The Colesseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

— Eric Anderson