"I miss to be hugged": Celine Dion's emotional confession
Award-winning singer Celine Dion has confirmed that she’s still “not ready to date” after her husband René's passing back in 2016.
Dion sat down with NBC’s Sheinelle Jones on the TODAY show and admitted that she pours herself into her work and a new tour instead of dating.
“I don't date,” Dion said matter-of-factly.
“I'm not ready to date. I'm very lucky and happy to have so many people in my surrounding to make me — they make me laugh, but I miss to be touched.”
Dion also said that she misses being “hugged”.
“I miss to be hugged. I missed to be told "you're beautiful." I miss what a boyfriend and I miss what a husband would do.'”
Dion also recalled her last conversation with her husband of more than 12 years back in 2016.
“He called me before a show and give me a little message: ‘I love you’ and when I came home that night, it was very, very late ... And I didn't want to come and wake him up to give him a kiss, to wake him up and then he can't find sleep again.
“And the next morning, he was gone. So, we talked before. And he sent me a text message. So we said goodbye.'”
Despite Dion focusing on the love and support of her close friends and her three children, she still finds things difficult.
“This is my first English album without René,' she said. 'When I say without René, without René physically, because René will always be part of me.”
“Before I talk, he goes through my mind,” she said. 'Would he do that? Is it too edgy? Would he be like approving that?’ I believed in him so much. And I still do.
“But there's a point that he's not here anymore. I have to take charge of my life.”
Scroll through the gallery to see Celine Dion, her late husband René and their three children through the years.