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In December 2022, Dion announced that she had been diagnosed with the rare neurological condition, which affects the brain and causes muscles to stiffen uncontrollably.
In a career spanning four decades, Dion has become a worldwide superstar, selling 230 million records and winning 5 Grammys. But the singer canceled concerts after the diagnosis and has not made many public appearances since.
In June, Dion appeared in a pre-recorded interview with “Today” presenter Hoda Kotb to promote an upcoming documentary about her life, “I Am: Celine Dion.” It was her first broadcast interview since she shared her diagnosis.
In the interview, Dion said that she first felt the symptoms of SPS before a concert in Germany in 2008 and felt bad about lying to her fans for over a decade.
“The burden was like too much, lying to people who got me where I am today,” she said.
Here’s what Dion and her family have said about her health in recent years.
Fans started worrying about Dion’s health after the singer began postponing concerts.In October 2021, Dion said she would delay her Las Vegas residency show at the new Resorts World Theatre. Per a statement, Dion couldn’t perform because she was “experiencing severe and persistent muscle spasms.””Now, I have to focus on getting better I want to get through this as soon as I can,” Dion wrote in an Instagram post.In January 2022, Dion canceled her remaining North American shows for her Courage World Tour, which had been delayed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She again cited her muscle spasms.”I’ll be so glad to get back to full health, as well as all of us getting past this pandemic, and I can’t wait to be back on stage again,” Dion said.A few months on, in April 2022, she recorded a video for fans saying she was delaying the European leg of the tour as well. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Celine Dion (@celinedion) “The good news is that I am doing a little bit better, but it’s going very slow, and it’s very frustrating for me,” she said in the video.Dion eventually canceled the whole tour in May 2023.
In July 2023, Dion’s older sister Claudette Dion told Canada’s Le Journal de Montral that the family was struggling to find a medicine that worked.”I honestly think that she mostly needs to rest.
She always goes above and beyond, she always tries to be the best and top of her game,” she said.Claudette said her other sister Linda moved in with Dion.Later that year, Claudette told the French-Canadian magazine 7 Jours that her sister could not control her muscles.”What breaks my heart is that she’s always been disciplined. She’s always worked hard,” she said in December 2023.Claudette added that she hoped her sister would be able to perform again but wondered how.”The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle,” she said.
In January, Dion announced that Amazon MGM Studios had acquired the rights to “I Am: Celine Dion,” a documentary about her career.Dion said it would include a behind-the-scenes look at her struggles with Stiff Person Syndrome.She said she hoped the documentary would raise awareness and help others with the condition.”This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me,” Dion said. In the statement, Dion referred to “the road to resuming my performing career,” suggesting that she hopes to return.But she didn’t give a timeframe. It also isn’t clear when the documentary will be released.
During Sunday’s Grammy ceremony, Dion was invited to present the album of the year award. Accompanied by her son, Ren-Charles Anglil, Dion received a standing ovation from the audience as she walked onstage.”Thank you all. I love you right back,” Dion said. “When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart.””Those who have been blessed enough to be here at the Grammy Awards must never take it for granted, the tremendous love and joy that music brings to our lives and to people all around the world,” she continued.She gave the top prize to Taylor Swift for her album “Midnights.”
