Celine Dion opens up about those Pepe Munoz dating rumors

Singer Céline Dion is setting the record straight.

During an interview with The Sun, published on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, the “My Heart Will Go On” hitmaker addressed the ongoing dating speculation surrounding herself and backup dancer Pepe Muñoz following the death of her late husband.

“The press said, ‘Oh my God, René just passed and now there’s another man,'” Dion told the media outlet, adding, “Yeah, there’s another man in my life but not THE man in my life.” She continued, “We’re friends, we’re best friends. Of course we hug and hold hands and go out, so people see that.”

Dion went on to say that she doesn’t necessarily mind the dating rumors, because Muñoz is “handsome and he’s my best friend.” However, she notably added, “Let’s not mix everything.” As the “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” singer gears up to end her eight-year Las Vegas residency, Celine, at the end of June 2019, she said that she’s living the single life. “By the way, when I say, ‘I am single,’ please, leave me alone,” Dion quipped. “Thanks.”

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Readers may be aware that Dion, 50, and Muñoz, 39, were first romantically linked in the press in 2017 — a year after the Canadian songstress’ longtime husband and manager, René Angélil, passed away. As Nicki Swift previously reported, Angélil sadly died in January 2016 following a decades-long battle with throat cancer. The 73-year-old shared three children with Dion: 18-year-old son René-Charles and 8-year-old twins Eddy and Nelson.

While speaking with The Sun, Dion remembered her late husband as “the greatest man in this world.” She added, “He’s at peace and he’s resting and he’s always within me. I see him every day through the eyes of my children. He gave me so much strength through all these years. And so much for me to explore, for me now to spread my wings. The maturity that comes with age and time.”

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In other celeb dating news, Kendra On Top star Kendra Wilkinson was recently romantically linked with The Bachelorette alum Chad Johnson following her high-profile split from ex-husband and former NFL star Hank Baskett. According to a source cited by Us Weekly on Monday, Jan. 21, “Kendra and Chad have recently been hanging out a lot more and going on super low-profile dates.” Wilkinson, 33, and Baskett, 36, had announced their divorce after nearly nine years of marriage in April 2018.