Shania Twain says her husband Frederic Thiebaud's commitment to open communication is why she believes their marriage will last a lifetime. The 60-year-old singer spoke to People about how Thiebaud, 55, insists on addressing problems immediately rather than letting them linger.
"He's really good at reminding both of us that we have to keep communication open," Twain said. "He's the greatest talker, and he's not inhibited at all with expressing his feelings, which is really wonderful in a man. If you have a man that is really open and wants to keep the communication open, you're blessed as a woman."
Twain described her own style as more reserved, preferring to take a walk or spend time alone with her guitar when working through marital issues. But she said Thiebaud's direct approach cuts through denial and prevents problems from spiraling.
"Fred wants to talk about it. He wants to talk it through, and he wants to fix it," she said. "And that's the best advice. I mean, he's not wrong."
Twain and Thiebaud, a former Nestle executive, bonded after their respective spouses had an affair with each other. Twain's then-husband Robert "Mutt" Lange allegedly had an affair with Thiebaud's then-wife, who was also Twain's best friend and assistant, Marie-Anne. Twain and Lange divorced in 2010 and continue to co-parent their son Eja, 25.
Twain and Thiebaud became a couple in 2009 and married on New Year's Day 2011 in a small beach ceremony in Rincon, Puerto Rico. She called him her "forever true love... the love I'm going to grow old with."
On forgiveness, Twain drew a distinction between letting go and forgetting. Speaking on the Great Company with Jamie Laing podcast in May 2024, she said forgiveness, for her, is about understanding the other person rather than excusing what they did. "Do I hate my ex-husband for making a mistake? No. It's his mistake. Not my mistake," she said.
Twain acknowledged that she and Thiebaud had "deep scars in common" and were "a big part of each other's healing." Her seventh studio album, Little Miss Twain, was released on July 24.
