Céline Dion has been experiencing a self-described “second wind” as of late, making bolder fashion choices and announcing plans for a new album and world tour.
The pop chanteuse has frequently credited dancer and illustrator Pepe Muñoz with helping her rebound emotionally after the 2016 deaths of her husband, René Angélil, and brother Daniel. Though the two have been virtually inseparable for the past two years or so, Dion has insisted they’re just good friends ― and now, she’s setting the record straight once again.
“Pepe is gay,” she said in a Thursday interview with Extra. “At first, I think some people did not know that.”
“The thing is that he’s my best friend and we dance together and he did so much for me and even just holding my hand … it’s something that I haven’t had for a long time,” she added.
While Dion and Muñoz may not be an item in the romantic sense, that doesn’t diminish the significance of their relationship.
“He did so much for me, for my mental health, my spirituality, my strength ― my inner strength,” she said.
The five-time Grammy winner’s love life has faced public scrutiny since Angélil’s passing. In January, she told Dan Wootton of The Sun and “The Dan Wootton Interview” that she and Muñoz “bonded right away as friends, we had a good time. It evolved.”
As for the speculation, she quipped, “I don’t mind because he’s handsome and he’s my best friend.”
Dion’s forthcoming album, “Courage,” is due out later this year. She’ll kick off the Courage World Tour in September.