That’s the way it is! Céline Dion says she’s single, despite the rumors that she’s dating her backup dancer Pepe Muñoz.
The 50-year-old singer — whose husband, René Angélil, died in 2016 — debunked the speculation in a new interview with Dan Wootton of ITV, The Sun and the “Dan Wootton Interview” podcast.
“The press said, ‘Oh my God, Rene just passed and now there’s another man,’” Dion explained. “Yeah, there’s another man in my life, but not the man in my life.”
The Canadian pop star worried that the attention might be “difficult” for Muñoz, whom she relies on for fitness training and styling advice. (In fact, it was the 34-year-old who saved her from a wardrobe malfunction during Paris Fashion Week event on January 22.)
“It was probably overwhelming for him at the beginning when we started working together because we were dancing together,” she said. “We bonded right away as friends, we had a good time. It evolved.”
Nevertheless, Dion said the relationship is strictly platonic: “Let’s not mix everything. … We’re friends, we’re best friends. Of course we hug and hold hands and go out, so people see that. I mean, he’s a gentleman. He’s giving me his hand to go out.”
The “My Heart Will Go On” singer told Wooten she isn’t necessarily bothered by the rumors — as Muñoz “is handsome and he’s my best friend” — but also clarified that she’s single at the moment.
“By the way, when I say, ‘I am single,’ please, leave me alone,” she quipped. “Thanks.”
Angélil, who also served as Dion’s manager, died at age 73 in January 2016 following a years-long battle with throat cancer. He and the five-time Grammy winner welcomed three children together: son René-Charles, 18, and twin boys Eddy and Nelson, 8.
