Céline Dion halts career to care for husband René Angélil
Stress of juggling career and family 'very difficult' after husband's cancer surgery
Canadian singing superstar Céline Dion says she's postponing all her show business activities indefinitely to give her attention to her husband, René Angélil, and their family.
"Since René's surgery last December to remove a cancerous tumour, it's been a very difficult and stressful time for the couple as they deal with the day-to-day challenges of fighting this disease while trying to juggle a very active show business schedule, and raise their three young children."
- Céline Dion hires Quebecor exec Aldo Giampaolo as manager
- Céline Dion's husband, René Angélil, recovering from 2nd bout of cancer
- Céline Dion dashes rumours about René Angélil's health after cancer
The decision effectively ends Dion's run at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and cancels an upcoming Asian tour slated to begin in the fall.
Singer's health in the spotlight
The 46-year-old singer's health has also been in the spotlight lately with an undisclosed illness causing her to cancel her Las Vegas shows since July 29. According to the statement, the condition has left Dion's throat muscles inflamed and she has not yet recovered.
I also want to apologize to all my fans everywhere, for inconveniencing them.—Céline Dion, in a statement
"I also want to apologize to all my fans everywhere, for inconveniencing them, and I thank them so much for their love and support," her statement reads.
Rumours had suggested that Angélil — who stepped down as Dion's manager in June — had taken a turn for the worse. But Dion tried to defuse the speculation at a charity fundraiser in Montreal in July,
"My husband is doing really well," she said. "He's working really hard on his health and he's being a dad at the house, which I'm really happy about."
Angélil and Dion have three young children, René-Charles, 13, and fraternal twins Eddy and Nelson, 3½.
With files from The Canadian Press