Escorted by her eldest son René-Charles Angélil, the “Queen of Power Ballads” glided across the red carpet at a New York City screening of her new documentary, I Am: Celine Dion.
The 56-year-old French-Canadian chanteuse – who’s has largely stayed out of the spotlight since 2022 when she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome – sparkled at the premiere, lighting up the red carpet with her “magic.”
But fans weren’t so complimentary when it came to her son, some saying “he’s aging like his father,” who died in 2016.
Keep reading to learn about the singer’s latest appearance with 23-year-old René Charles!
In December 2022, Celine Dion, now 56, made an emotional social media post, announcing the cancellation of her 2023 summer tour.
“I wasn’t ready to say anything before. But I’m ready now,” she says in the clip shared on Facebook. “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…It hurts me to tell you that I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February.”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcelinedion%2Fvideos%2F689393589197580%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0
Dion was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome (SPS), a rare neurological disease that causes painful muscle spasms and stiffness.
Her sister Claudette Dion explained the musical powerhouse “doesn’t have control of her muscles,” which includes the ones she uses to sing: her vocal chords.
But Dion’s ongoing battle with the debilitating health condition did not stop her from surprising the audience at the 2024 Grammy Awards on February 4. She also presented the final award for album of the year, which went to Taylor Swift for “Midnights.”
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“Thank you all, I love you right back,” Dion said to a roaring crowd. “When I say, I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart.”
Red carpet comeback
In the middle of June 2024, the first time since 2022 since she was diagnosed with SPS, the pop icon walked the red carpet at the premiere of her film, that she says is a “a love letter to her fans.”
Directed by the Oscar nominee Irene Taylor, I Am: Celine Dion is an “inspirational documentary” that offers fans “a raw and honest behind-the-scenes look at the iconic superstar’s struggle with a life-altering illness.”
The movie will be released on Amazon Prime Video on June 25.
For the premiere, Dion was joined by her son 23-year-old son René-Charles Angélil, the oldest of three children she shares with her late husband René Angélil, who died in 2016 of throat cancer.
The singer of “My Heart Will Go On” stole the show in a monochromatic white look that included a floor-sweeping skirt and an elegant long-sleeved blouse. She accessorized with a silver belt, matching bracelets, and stud earrings.
René-Charles appeared in a black suit with matching dress shoes and a chunky ring on his pinky finger.
Fans, thrilled to see the diva back in action, offered their opinions on her stunning return.
“Classy. Mature. Legend,” remarks one fan while a second writes, “My queen you look amazing. So grateful as always. You have been missed [I love you].”
A third shares, “So nice to see her well. Looking beautiful and looking healthy.”
Another adds, “queen has been through so much and here she is absolutely glowing.”
Netizens weren’t as kind when offering their thoughts on René-Charles.
“Ummm…23??!!! I know he is young but my dude doesn’t look like he is in his early 20’s, he looks 10 to 15 years older,” offers one critic.
“I think her son 40 years old,” shares a second.
Another, expressing shock over René-Charles mature look adds, “23?!?! Omg I thought he was my age I’m 30 lol, he’s aging like his daddy.”
Defending the sweet image that shows a loving mother and son, a cyber fan says, “these comments are awful…Celine Dion has pushed through physical hell to make it back to the red carpet and all y’all can talk about is how old her son looks?”
Another adds, “They look stunning!!! Both of them. Classy as well. And he looks a lot like his father. So nice to see them.”