Celine Dion may be one of the biggest stars on the planet, but what many people don’t realize is that she’s also a mom of three — including twins Nelson Angélil and Eddy Angélil. And unlike some celebrity kids who practically have “nepo baby” stamped on their foreheads and bask in the spotlight, these two (along with Dion’s fan-favorite oldest son, René-Charles Angélil) have kept a much lower profile. Sure, growing up as Celine Dion’s kids comes with plenty of privilege, but that doesn’t mean their lives have been all glitz and glamour.
Dion takes immense pride in being a mother to her sons, even giving the twins meaningful names — Nelson, after Nelson Mandela, and Eddy, after French composer Eddy Marnay, who produced many of her albums. “They have very different personalities but both of them love to wake up first thing in the morning and go to their closet and decide what they will wear,” she said of the two in an interview with the Daily Mail. And while she seldom posts about them on social media, when she does, she makes it count. “Nelson and Eddy, you have been bringing so much joy, love and laughter into our lives every single day for the past 10 years,” Dion wrote on Instagram on their 10th birthday in 2020 (via ABC News). “You make me, your big brother and your Dad, who is for sure watching over you, so very proud.”
But despite their charmed upbringing, Dion’s rarely-seen twin sons (who look so grown up now) have faced their fair share of heartbreak. Here’s a look at the toughest moments in Nelson and Eddy’s young lives — plus exclusive insights from an expert on how they’re coping.
The brothers had to endure losing their father when they were just 5 years old
Nelson Angélil and Eddy Angélil barely had time to grasp the world before it threw them a gut-wrenching curveball — the loss of their father, René Angélil. Celine Dion’s longtime manager and husband of over two decades passed away in 2016 after years of dealing with throat cancer, leaving her with the impossible task of explaining death to two 5-year-olds. So, she turned to Disney.
“Before I told them that their dad was not there, I talked about when we, everybody, gets sick. Then I said, ‘Do you remember the movie Up?’ It’s one of our favorite. ‘Oh,’ they said, ‘Yes, Ellie went up.’ You know, she with the balloons. And I said, ‘Well, yeah… You know, today Papa went up,” she told ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts in an interview for “Good Morning America.” To make the moment more tangible, she brought them outside to release balloons, a symbolic send-off to soften the blow. “We’re gonna say, ‘Papa, we love you. Have a good up,'” she recalled. “And we’re gonna spread this, and it’s gonna go to him.”
Dion hasn’t shared much about how her sons coped afterward, but one thing’s for sure — she was determined to be their rock. According to her, it was what her husband would have wanted. “I really, really want to prove to my kids their mother is strong,” she shared with People four months after René’s death. “I lost the love of my life. I miss him a lot from when he was great but not when he was suffering. I cannot be selfish. You have to let people go. I feel at peace.” But a neuropsychologist told Nicki Swift it was likely harder for the twins to find solace.
According to an expert, the loss likely had long-term effects on the twins
Losing a loved one is devastating at any age, but for Nelson Angélil and Eddy Angélil, the loss of their father when they were just 5 years old was especially gut-wrenching. At that age, they likely had little grasp of what it truly meant, aside from knowing something was very, very wrong. According to Dr. Sanam Hafeez, New York City-based neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind, experiencing such a profound loss so young can stir up more than just sadness — it can also bring fear and confusion and even slow down emotional growth.
“The permanence of their father’s death might not be clear to them, which leads to frequent inquiries and possibilities in their minds that their father could come back or they could fix things. The mental strain they experience may result in changes to their behavior,” she explained to Nicki Swift. “Young children may also experience nightmares, regress in developmental milestones like potty training, or express fears of losing other loved ones.”
Beyond the immediate impact, the twins’ long-term emotional development may have been affected, particularly if they lacked the proper support to navigate their grief. “If grief is not appropriately addressed, children may develop attachment issues or have difficulties in forming secure relationships later in life,” added Hafeez. “The public exposure of their father’s death combined with their mother’s visible grief makes the mourning process more complicated for Celine Dion’s twins.”
The twins also have to witness their mother deal with an illness in real time
In December 2022, just a few years after losing her husband, Celine Dion had yet another gut punch to deal with — she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a neurological disorder characterized by muscle stiffness and spasms, making it nearly impossible for her to perform. The singer broke the news on Instagram, telling fans that she had no choice but to hit pause on her world tour. “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” she shared. “Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the Stiff Person Syndrome … We now know that this is what has been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having.”
But if there’s one thing keeping her in fight mode, it’s her kids. Speaking with People, Dion made it clear that she wasn’t about to let them go through another devastating loss, especially not so soon after their father’s passing. “I barely could walk at one point, and I was missing very much living. My kids started to notice. I was like, ‘OK, they already lost a parent. I don’t want them to be scared,'” she said. “I let them know, ‘You lost your dad, [but] mom has a condition and it’s different. I’m not going to die. It’s something that I’m going to learn to live with.”
Her sons haven’t spoken publicly about her illness, but it’s safe to say watching their mother battle a rare, debilitating condition in real time probably isn’t what they had in mind for their teenage years.
Seeing their mom suffer must have also made them feel uncertain and anxious
Losing their dad was already a gut punch, but for Nelson Angélil and Eddy Angélil, watching Celine Dion deal with the emotional toll of a life-altering illness not even a decade later? That’s a brutal one-two punch. Seeing their mom struggle with SPS — a condition that adversely affects not just her ability to perform but her overall quality of life — has undoubtedly shaken them to the core.
“When a child’s parent is diagnosed with a serious, life-altering illness like Stiff Person Syndrome, it can heighten feelings of fear, uncertainty, and instability, especially when they have already experienced the loss of a parent,” Dr. Sanam Hafeez told Nicki Swift. “Nelson and Eddy, who have already coped with the death of their father, might now have to contend with the added anxiety of watching their mother’s health deteriorate.”
And sure, they’re not exactly lacking in resources — the twins most likely have access to therapy, top-tier medical care, and a built-in support system most could only dream of. But at the end of the day, no amount of money or privilege can change the fact that they’re still just kids, dealing with an unimaginable tragedy. Hafeez explained that such a massive life shift could bring on stress levels so intense it might even affect their behavior. “The uncertainty surrounding their mother’s condition may cause them to worry about the future, leading to symptoms of anxiety, depression, or behavioral regression,” she said. “The persistent stress and grief from the illness demands continuous emotional support for the twins, which involves therapy and a strong family network to help the children understand their emotions and develop resilience for tackling these ongoing challenges.”
But at the end of the day, Nelson and Eddy have each other to turn to for support
Dealing with loss and hardship is tough for anyone, let alone kids, but if there’s one silver lining for Nelson Angélil and Eddy Angélil, it’s that they have each other — and, of course, their older brother, René-Charles Angélil — to help hold things together.
According to Dr. Sanam Hafeez, leaning on one another is the best thing the twins can do as they navigate the messiness of grief and uncertainty. “Nelson and Eddy’s bond as twins can offer them a unique source of comfort and stability as they face the tragic events in their lives, especially the loss of their father and their mother’s illness,” she shared with Nicki Swift. “Their shared support system enables them to work through their emotions together which creates a mutual understanding and companionship that protects them from feelings of loneliness.”
And, apparently, twins have that thing — some sort of unspoken connection and a borderline psychic ability to just get each other. If anything can help them through this, it’s that built-in emotional safety net. “The twin bond serves as a crucial protective shield during their early years by providing emotional stability as they overcome difficult situations throughout their teen years,” Hafeez added. “This close connection could continue to support them, though the intensity of peer relationships and individual identity development might also play a role in how their bond evolves during adolescence.”
