Celine Dion's husband of over 20 years, Rene Angelil, is dead at the age of 73.
"Rene Angelil, 73, passed away this morning as his home in Las Vegas after a long and courageous battle against cancer," his rep tells PEOPLE. "The family requests that their privacy be respected at the moment; more details will be provided at a later time."
Angelil is credited with discovering Dion when she was just 12 in 1980, before officially becoming a couple 7 years later. The two would tie the knot in 1994 at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal. The couple have three children together - Rene-Charles, 14, and twins Nelson and Eddy, 5. He also has three children from a previous relationship.
Dion resumed her residency at Caesars Palace last August, after she took time off to be with her husband while he fought throat cancer.
Back in August, Dion told USA Today that the couple's eldest son was becoming "the man of my life," adding that the twins "don't know their father in any other state."
"I'll say 'Come on, let's go feed Dad,' and they'll come along with me," she said at the time.
"When you see someone who is fighting so hard, it has a big impact on you," she added. "You have two choices. You look at your husband who's very sick and you can't help, and it kills you. Or you look at your husband that's sick and you say, 'I got you. I got it. I'm here. It's going to be just fine.'"
"You can have your shaking knees at the end, but when someone you love falls and needs help, it's not time to cry," she continued. "Afterwards, sure. But not yet."
"I'll say, 'You're scared? I understand. Talk to me about it,'" she added. "And René says to me, 'I want to die in your arms.' Okay, fine, I'll be there, you'll die in my arms."
