Celine Dion has been left heartbroken following the death of her husband, René Angélil.
The former singer and manager is believed to have lost his battle with throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2013.
It was his second battle with throat cancer, after initially fighting and beating the disease in the late 90s.
A statement, released on behalf of Celine and René’s family, requested that the public respect their privacy at this tragic time.
It read: “René Angélil, 73, passed away this morning as his home in Las Vegas after a long and courageous battle against cancer.
“The family requests that their privacy be respected at the moment; more details will be provided at a later time.”
Celine, who married René in 1994, has always been very open about the difficulties of dealing with her soulmate’s cancer battle.
She told Life magazine: “Life is not always perfect. You have to deal with it. Whatever life imposes – sickness, or whatever, you don’t have a choice.
“This is life, this is nature.”
She added that spiritualism had helped her through the troublesome time, saying: “I am very spiritual. I believe in myself, I believe in my family, and I’m positive.
“Through this, you show your children how to deal with things, and how to be strong.”
Our thoughts are with Celine, as well as her and René’s three children, 14-year-old René and non-identical five-year-old twins Eddy and Nelson, at this sad time.