“My Heart Will Go On” hitmaker Celine Dion is currently battling Stiff Person Syndrome. Last spring, the 57-year-old singer canceled her Courage world tour due to complications from her illness. The songstress shared in May 2023 that it was a “tremendous disappointment” and said that refunds would be available to fans. “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,” she said in a statement.
Despite her health issues, Celine still made a surprise appearance during the 2024 Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024. She presented the award for Album of the Year which went to Taylor Swift. Celine received a standing ovation as she walked out on stage. “Thank you all. I love you right back,” she said to the audience. That summer, she returned to the stage by performing at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Celine is one of the most popular singers in the world. Not only is she known best for her iconic song in the Titanic movie, but she’s gone on to win a total of five Grammy Awards in her career. In addition, the blonde beauty became a Las Vegas residency legend with over 15 years of residency time under her belt! With such a vivacious personality and a love of performing, it seems crazy to think that the last time the Canadian powerhouse has performed live was on July 5, 2019 at the BST concert in Hyde Park, London.
After postponing her tour several times post-pandemic, in December 2022, Celine made the announcement that she was suffering from a very rare health condition, one that may keep her from the stage for a very long time. After canceling her tour in May 2023, Celine promised that she wouldn’t “give up” and said she hoped to get on the road when her strength is back. Most recently, Celine released a trailer for her new documentary which chronicles her battle with the condition. Here’s everything to know about her health condition, how she’s doing today, and more.
Celine shocked the world with somber news in 2022 when she revealed her Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) diagnosis with an emotional video across social media, including Instagram. The rare condition, which often affects around “about one or two in a million people,” is known to cause a series of neurological health issues, per John Hopkins Medicine.
“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to reach out to you,” Celine said in an Instagram video at the time. “I miss you all so much and I can’t wait to be on stage talking to you in person. As you know, I’ve always been an open book and I wasn’t ready to say anything before. But I’m ready now. I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through. Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people.”
Stiff person syndrome can cause muscle rigidity and spasms, heightened sensitivity to sound stimuli and lights, as well as emotional distress that can cause muscle spasms, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. It is so rare, it can take years to diagnose and at present, there is no cure.
