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Singer Celine Dion is facing the ire of her fans after a report in a French newspaper alleged that her showstopping ‘live’ performance at the start of the Paris 2024 Olympics was pre-recorded. Also read: Celine Dion gets teary-eyed while performing at the Paris Olympics 2024 amid Stiff Person Syndrome.
The accusations surfaced on October 11, just a day after Celine, 56, released a single from her Olympics performance, Hymne à l’amour – Live from the Olympic Games Paris 2024, on streaming platforms. The song was made famous by French singer Édith Piaf.
According to NYpost, a daily newspaper Libération made the claim in an article titled, “Did Celine Dion lip-sync during the Olympic opening ceremony?”
The outlet cited multiple music industry professionals who alleged her performance was “without a shadow of a doubt” pre-recorded.
“What we heard on TV was a corrected playback,” composer and performer Etienne Guéreau alleged to Libération.
“It was 100% playback, you can hear it from the first notes,” claimed a sound engineer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The report has left fans of the My Heart Will Go On singer angry. “You don’t have more important information to repeat?” one supporter asked on X, formerly known as Twitter. “What is this need to tarnish, to denigrate? We don’t care! You won’t take away the emotion we felt at that moment. Celine Dion’s vocal performance is admirable regardless,” wrote another.
“WE DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR CONTROVERSIES! Congratulations to Celine Dion for her performance!” someone else wrote.
Others said that if the Grammy winner’s performance did turn out to be pre-recorded, they wouldn’t care. “Who cares — she was great either way,” one fan commented.
Another referred to Celine’s recent health struggles, writing, “She’s sick. Let her lip sync”. The singer is yet to react to the claims.
Back in July, singer Celine Dion made a powerful return to the stage at the Paris Olympics 2024, amid her struggles with stiff person syndrome. After a three-year hiatus due to major health issues, she performed at the opening ceremony of the Olympics, leaving the audience speechless.
For the performance, Celine was at the top of the Eiffel Tour in Paris as she sang Hymne A L’Amour by Edith Piaf. Her performance was the last act of the opening ceremony. She wore an exquisite high-neck gown for her performance, covered with crystals, and its long sleeves stitched with a cape and beaded tassels.
During the performance, the singer was seen holding back her tears. It was her first performance after she left her Las Vegas residency in 2021 to focus on her health. Several reports suggested that the singer was paid a whopping $2 million for her performance, however, a rep for the Olympics said, “Contrary to some media reports, the performers at the Paris 2024 Games ceremonies will not receive a fee for their performance”.
