\n<\/p>\n
In December 2022, <\/span>C\u00e9line Dion<\/a> revealed that — after months of struggling with heath issues, including muscle spasms and stiffness — she had officially been diagnosed with\u00a0<\/span>Stiff Person Syndrome<\/a>\u00a0(SPS), a rare autoimmune disorder.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to the\u00a0<\/span>Mayo Clinic<\/a>, Stiff Person Syndrome is “a rare disorder of motor function characterized by involuntary stiffness of axial muscles and superimposed painful muscle spasms, which are often induced by startle or emotional stimuli.”<\/span><\/p>\n Since her announcement, Dion has been open with fans about how the condition has affected her life and career — and effusive in her thanks for their support every step of the way.<\/span><\/p>\n She was forced to <\/span>cancel her Courage World Tour<\/a>, which restarted in 2022 after being paused due to COVID, but she has made several public appearances in recent months, including a <\/span>surprise onstage moment<\/a> at the 2024 GRAMMYs and several trips to <\/span>hockey games with her sons<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Now, as she prepares to share even more about her recent struggles in a new documentary,\u00a0<\/span>I Am: Celine Dion<\/a> <\/span><\/em>— which drops June 25 on Prime Video — ET is looking back at everything Dion has said so far about her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome and her hopes for her health and career in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n Dion first disclosed that she was battling health issues in January 2022, when she was forced to\u00a0<\/span>cancel the remaining North American<\/a>\u00a0dates of her Courage World Tour due to a slow recovery from “severe and persistent muscle spasms.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “I was really hoping that I’d be good to go by now, but I suppose I just have to be more patient and follow the regimen that my doctors are prescribing,” she said at the time. “I can’t wait to be back onstage again.”<\/span><\/p>\n Her issues persisted, however, and in April 2022, in an\u00a0<\/span>emotional message to fans<\/a>, she announced more cancellations and postponements.<\/span><\/p>\n The entertainer admitted that figuring out her health was “going very slow, and it\u2019s very frustrating for me. I\u2019m getting treatment from my doctors, taking medication, but I\u2019m still experiencing some spasms, and it\u2019s taking a lot longer for me to recover than I had hoped.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On Dec. 8, 2022, the singer was ready to share more about her ongoing health issues, <\/span>officially announcing her diagnosis<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it\u2019s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I\u2019ve been going through,” she shared in an Instagram video. “Recently\u00a0I’ve been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called the Stiff Person Syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people.”<\/span><\/p>\n “While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what\u2019s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having,\u201d she explained. “Unfortunately\u00a0these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk, and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I\u2019m used to.”<\/span><\/p>\n Dion teared up as she announced the cancellation of European tour dates, noting that she was doing everything in her power to be able to perform again.<\/span><\/p>\n “All I know is singing. It\u2019s what I\u2019ve done all my life and it\u2019s what I love to do the most. I miss you so much. I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage, performing for you,” she continued. “I always give 100 percent when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now. For me to reach you again, I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment. And I have hope\u00a0that I\u2019m on the road to recovery. This is my focus and I\u2019m doing everything that I can to recuperate.”<\/span><\/p>\n By May 2023, Dion had to admit to fans that her health was going to prevent her from going onstage for the foreseeable future, as she <\/span>announced the cancellation<\/a> of the remaining 42 shows on her Courage World Tour.<\/span><\/p>\n “I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again,” the singer said in a statement. “I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100 percent. It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again. I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Dion made her <\/span>first public appearance in nearly four years<\/a> when she attended an NHL game between the Vegas Golden Knights and her hometown team, the Montreal Canadiens, on Oct. 31, 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n Not only that, but the singer brought along her\u00a0three sons — 22-year-old Ren\u00e9-Charles and 13-year-old twins Eddy and Nelson — and posed for a rare family photo as they greeted Canadiens players and staff in the locker room after the game.<\/span><\/p>\n “My boys and I had such a fun time visiting with the Montreal Canadiens after their hockey game with Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas Monday night,” Dion captioned the post. “They played so well, what a game!! Thank you for meeting us after the game, guys! That was memorable for all of us. Have a great season! – Celine xx\u2026”<\/span><\/p>\n In January 2024,\u00a0Amazon MGM Studios announced that they had acquired worldwide rights to a feature-length documentary about Dion’s ongoing health battle, helmed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Irene Taylor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to the film’s official synopsis,\u00a0<\/span>I Am: Celine Dion\u00a0<\/span><\/i>is “an intimate exploration that takes viewers on a journey inside the\u00a055-year-old’s past and present as\u00a0<\/span>she reveals her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS)<\/a>\u00a0and the lengths she has gone to continue performing for her beloved and loyal fans.”<\/span><\/p>\n From visiting her couture touring wardrobe and personal effects to spending time in the recording studio, the documentary captures a global megastar’s never-before-seen private life. “An emotional, energetic, and poetic love letter to music,\u00a0<\/span>I Am: Celine Dion<\/span><\/em>\u00a0captures more than a year of filming as the legendary singer navigates her journey toward living an open and authentic life amidst illness,” the description reads.<\/span><\/p>\n “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 a press release for the doc. “As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans. During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis.”<\/span><\/p>\n Dion made a triumphant return to the public eye — for the first time since November 2023 — when she made a surprise appearance at the\u00a0<\/span>2024 GRAMMY Awards<\/a>\u00a0to present the Album of the Year award, which went to\u00a0<\/span>Taylor Swift’s\u00a0Midnights<\/em><\/a>. Dion\u00a0<\/span>graced the stage<\/a>\u00a0with eldest son Ren\u00e9-Charles.<\/span><\/p>\n Dion received huge applause from the crowd and grew emotional in response to the warm reception, saying, “Thank you all. I love you right back. When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart.”<\/span><\/p>\n And while the diva looked as elegant as ever onstage, she wowed fans around the world while backstage when the Queen of Pop\u00a0<\/span>shared her angelic voice<\/a>\u00a0during a singalong with GRAMMY-nominated songwriter\u00a0Sonya\u00e9.<\/span><\/p>\n On March 15, 2024, Dion celebrated International Stiff Person Syndrome Awareness Day with <\/span>an inspirational Instagram post<\/a> in which she\u00a0vowed “to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible.”<\/span><\/p>\n “Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life,” she continued, “but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible. I am deeply grateful for the love and support from my kids, family, team and all of you!”<\/span><\/p>\n Expressing gratitude for the unwavering support she has received, Dion extended her encouragement to others battling SPS around the world. “I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!” she exclaimed, echoing a sentiment of solidarity and strength.<\/span><\/p>\n In April 2024, Dion was announced as the May cover star for\u00a0<\/span>Vogue France<\/em><\/a>, offering a message of positivity amid her ongoing health battle.<\/span><\/p>\n “I’m honored to be doing a photo shoot for\u00a0<\/span>Vogue France<\/span><\/em>. I’m very proud that, at 55, I’ve been asked to reveal my beauty,” Dion said in an Instagram caption on her stunning cover shoot. “But what is beauty? Beauty is you, it’s me, it’s what’s inside, it’s our dreams, it\u2019s today. Today, I’m a woman who is feeling strong and positive about the future. One day at a time.”<\/span><\/p>\n In the interview, she opened up about why she made the decision to document her recent struggles in the upcoming film.<\/span><\/p>\n “I wanted to do it as a documentary because it’s not a quick thing, and there is no quick fix to what I’ve gone through,” Dion explained. “It’s not just about vocal exercising and doing Pilates. It’s rehabilitation physically and vocally, emotionally and spiritually– the whole shebang. And I want this story to be told in a classy way. I respect my fans and myself enough for them to know the full truth.”<\/span><\/p>\nApril 2022 – First Signs<\/span><\/h3>\n
December 2022 – Official Announcement<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
May 2023 – Total Cancellation<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
October 2023 – Hockey With the Boys<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
January 2024 – Documenting Her Battle<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
February 2024 – GRAMMYs Gold<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
March 2024 –\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>A Promise to Family and Fans<\/span><\/h3>\n
April 2024 – Cover Girl<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
May 2024 – I Am: Celine Dion<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n